Red Roses
by Unicorn13
Summary: Cho was never the same after Cedric died and her sixth year was certainly... emotional. Now it's her last year at Hogwarts and when she falls for someone unexpected, everything keeps getting more and more complicated.
1. New Impressions

A/N: Whoo!   This is the first time I've tried writing something in a while!   Anyway, I just suddenly got the urge to write something about Cho and Ron 'cause it's not all that common, you know?   And so I just decided to try something different.   So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: nothing's mine except for the characters that you don't know and, of course, the plot of this story.   But besides that I own none of the HP characters, etc.

**Warning**: some major OOTP and other spoilers here!

Red Roses 

            Cho stared into the shop window, leaning her head on the glass absentmindedly and fogging it up slightly, half obscuring her view.   She sighed and wiped away the little cloud she had formed.   It was close to the end of summer vacation and she was in Diagon Alley once again to buy her school supplies.   It was a typical warm summer day and all the other shoppers bustled around her, happily chatting with each other, a burst of excitement and noise exploding every once in a while when some witch found one of her school friends that she hadn't seen all summer, all of them completely oblivious to her strange behavior.   Cho sighed again before turning away from the window; the sun seemed to reflect the exact opposite of what she was feeling.   Ever since the last school term had ended, she had been in a seemingly never-ending melancholy mood.

Flashback 

_"Honestly Marietta, I think you look fine with the balaclava on," Cho lied as she and her friend strolled casually down the train corridor._

_"Really?  Madam Pomfrey said that the boils would go away soon, but it's not as soon as I'd like, I'm afraid," replied Marietta sadly.   _

_They passed by Harry's compartment and Cho looked into the window for a moment.   She heard Ron Weasley's voice say, "Hey Harry," and saw him nod his head towards the window.   Harry's eyes met hers; she felt herself turning red and quickened her pace slightly.   Once she and Marietta had reached their compartment, she sank down in her seat and covered her face with her hands.   The way Harry had looked at her… ever since he had come back from his last encounter with the Dark Lord, he had changed.   He didn't even blush when she made eye contact with him like he used to.   He seemed older, more mature, and in the process of this rapid growing-up, he seemed to have forgotten all of his feelings for her.   Not that she was supposed to care; she had Michael now.   But still…_

_"Cho?   Are you listening?"_

_"Hmm?   Oh yes, I was just a little dazed for a while, that's all,"_

_"Yes, well, anyway, like I was saying…" was all Cho heard before she drifted back to her thoughts.   She really had fancied Harry a great deal, but she didn't really blame him for giving up on her.   After all, she was the one who was constantly crying all over and starting rows with him.   She sighed and came back to reality to listen to Marietta before her friend got too suspicious and started to ask questions._

End flashback 

            Cho walked across the street to Flourish and Blotts, buried in her supply list.   She looked up briefly to make sure she didn't bump into the wall instead of walking into the entrance and entered the shop.   Immediately, a shop assistant came up to her and asked, "Hogwarts?"

            "Yes," she replied, "seventh year,"

            "Ah, yes.   This way, miss." He said, gesturing for her to follow him.   He led her through various aisles in the store, pulling a book down here and there and then finally handing her the medium-sized pile of textbooks.   She brought them over to the counter, paid for them, and thanked him.   This was the last of her shopping for the day and her mother had said that she didn't need to be home until 1:00 that afternoon.   It was 11:30 now and, stepping out of the cool shop into the warm street, she decided that she would stop by Florean Fortescue's for an ice cream.   

            Once she had ordered a small sundae and settled herself down in one of the tables, she took the opportunity to glance through her list again to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything.

            "Let's see," she muttered, underlining the text on the parchment with her finger.

            "Hey!   Cho!   Over here!" called a voice.   Cho abruptly looked up from the paper and searched wildly in the crowd of passersby to find the owner of that voice.   Her eyes finally rested on Michael Corner, who was on the other side of the parlor, waving frantically at her.   She forced a smile and halfheartedly waved back.   However, none of this seemed to douse any of Michael's enthusiasm and he immediately began to make his way towards her table.

            "Hey," he finally said when he had taken the seat beside her.

            "Hey," she replied, the fake smile still plastered on her face.

            "I missed you this summer," he said, stroking her cheek.

            Cho almost cringed at his touch.   "Er, yeah, I missed you too," she lied quickly.   "So how have you been?"

            "Oh fine, I had a really good summer, how 'bout you?"

            "Great, never better," she lied again, widening her smile into a sort of painful and obviously unnatural grimace.   Again, Michael didn't notice her strained nature and feigned happiness to see him.

            "Good, good," he replied.   "So listen, I-" he started before being cut of by someone yelling out his name.   He looked around, as Cho had earlier and saw one of his friends signaling him to come.   He replied, "Coming!   Just give me a minute!" and nodded his head toward Cho.   "I hate to run out on you like this, but I promised Jake I'd help him ask out this Hufflepuff.   I'll see you later, 'kay?"

            Cho nodded and, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he headed off to meet his friend.   When he was out of sight, she exhaled deeply in relief and dropped her phony grin.   Checking her watch again, she finished off her sundae, picked up her bags and purse, and started off down the other side of the street to window shop a little before she had to go home.   She glanced at the plain as well as dressy robes in the window of Madam Malkins' and decided to walk in, even though she had stopped growing ages ago and already had good school robes.   

            "It never hurts to have an extra set of dress robes," she reminded herself as she walked in, reveling in the cool and comforting breeze that she felt as she opened the shop door.   She walked around, feeling some robes every now and then and examining the different materials.   When no other robes had caught her eye, she turned to leave and, as she opened the door, ran straight into someone and dropped all of her purchases.

            "Oh!" she said, startled.   "I'm so sorry, it was my fault,"

            "No, don't apologize, it was mine, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," the boy replied, bending down to help her pick up her things.   

            When she had then all safely secured in her arms, she thanked him and for once in a long time, smiled a genuine smile.   As she looked at the boy, she saw that his face was vaguely familiar; he had fiery red hair that had been tamed into a very attractive spectacle, freckles, friendly blue eyes, and was rather tall.   

            "He must be on one of the Quidditch teams at school," she thought to herself as she noted his strong build and muscled arms.

            He cleared his throat and she realized that she had been gaping at him for a few minutes now and blushing, looked away.   

            "So… I guess I'll see you at school?" she asked once she had regained her composure.

            "Yeah," was all he said before he smiled, making her go slightly weak in the knees, and walked away towards a brown-haired girl and… Harry Potter…

            Cho felt her heart beating in her throat as she watched the boy and she realized who he was: Ron Weasley.   How could she have not noticed him before?   Well, in all honesty, she had, but she paid more attention to Harry and, well, Ron just looked _different_ now.   Instead of just being tall and awkwardly skinny, he had become well built and a bit more handsome and to top it all off, was still very tall.   Shaking her head to clear it of these thoughts, Cho turned her attention to Harry.

            The summer seemed to have been hard on him.   He looked more sickly and thin than ever, but, like Ron, had at least developed a bit of muscle.   She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she watched him, but forced herself to hold them back.

            "That's what drives boys away from you, remember?" she told herself bitterly.   Checking her watch once more, she found that time had flown by faster than she had anticipated and that it was 12:48.   Making sure she had everything, she tore her eyes away from the Dream Team and prepared to Apparate back home.   It had been a long day…

************************

            "RON!   You'd better get up now or else we'll leave you all by yourself at home!" threatened Mrs. Weasley, her shouts carrying all the way from the kitchen up to Ron's room.   Upstairs, in the blazing orange room, Ron turned over in his bed and hugged the bedclothes to him tighter, taking no notice of his mother's calls.

            "Ron!   I mean it!   Don't make me come up there!" she yelled again as everyone in the kitchen covered their ears and winced visibly.

            "Honestly Mum, why don't you just put a howler under his pillow instead?   No need in blasting out the ears of the early risers," complained Ginny.

            Mrs. Weasley ignored her daughter's comment and continued to fly around the kitchen, cleaning the dishes and packing lunch at the same time.

            "Could someone go and wake him up?" she finally said a few minutes later, exasperated.   "I've got my hands full right now and he needs to get changed and eat something before we Floo to Diagon Alley,"

            "I'll go do it, Mrs. Weasley," volunteered Harry.

            "Why thank you dear, I appreciate it," she replied, giving him a warm smile that he returned.

            "Oy!   Ron!" he yelled once he was in Ron's room.   "Get up!   Your mum's about to skin you alive!"

            Ron mumbled incoherently and turned away from Harry.   Harry shook him violently before prying Ron's fingers off of the sheets one by one and pulling them off of him.   Suddenly, he was struck with a brilliant idea and, leaning over Ron carefully, positioned his fingers just right and then proceeded to tickle him ferociously.

            Ron's eyes flew open as he almost choked with laughter.

            "Stop- stop it," he gasped out in between laughs.

            "I will if you promise to get up," said Harry, dodging Ron's long legs as he thrashed about and tried to kick him.

            "I-I-I pro-promise," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

            Harry stopped and then went over to Ron's dresser, pulled out a pair of khaki pants and a dark blue T-shirt and threw them at his friend.   

            "Hurry up before your mum goes nutters," warned Harry.   Ron nodded and waited until the door closed to get out of bed and change out of his pajamas.   He rubbed his eyes after he had gotten dressed and yawned before turning to the mirror on the back of his door.   Getting a comb and a container of gel off of his dresser, he ran the comb through his hair after applying a little gel to it until he was satisfied with it, opened the door and rushed downstairs.

            "About time," said his mother when he appeared in the kitchen and motioned for him to sit down and eat the food she had saved for him.   He did so and gladly consumed the entire plate-full in a matter of minutes, disregarding the fact that it was cold.

            "Come on now, let's go," said Mrs. Weasley when he was finished and whisked away his plate before handing him the flowerpot full of Floo powder.   He took some, threw it into the fire and stepped into it, yelled Diagon Alley very clearly and was soon followed by Harry and the rest of the family.

            Once they were there, they brushed themselves off and set down the crowded street.

            "You want to go see Fred and George?" Ron suggested to Harry after a few minutes.

            "Sure," he replied.

            "Mum, we'll meet up with you, Dad, and Ginny in a bit, okay?" said Ron.

            "All right dear, keep out of trouble," said Mrs. Weasley before she said, "Oh Arthur _really_!   Don't give me that look.   I _promise_ we'll get you a rubber duck later, but not now, we need to do school shopping!" and steered Mr. Weasley and Ginny through the crowd toward a shop.

            "Come on," said Ron, shaking his head and walking towards the corner shop that said "Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes" in big bright letters above it.   Ron and Harry approached the door and walked in.

            "Hey Lee, how are you?" said Harry, spotting the Weasley twins' old friend behind the counter.

            "Good, you?"

            "Fine," Harry replied.

            "Where are Fred and George?" asked Ron.

            "Oh I don't know," said Lee lightly, "just look around, I'm sure you'll find them somewhere,"

            "Thanks a lot," said Ron sarcastically before starting to search through the crazily arranged shop.

            "Hello Harry, nice to see you again," said Fred when they had finally found them in the back of the store, testing some new products.

            "You too ickle Ronniekins," said George, punching Ron playfully in the shoulder.   

            "Yeah?   You have a funny way of showing it," grumbled Ron from the floor, as his legs had been magically stuck together.

            "Hey, it's not our fault you came in our testing area without asking first." Said George.

            "Yeah, you didn't think we'd let our experiments be non-protected did you, little brother?" added Fred, casually waving his wand and freeing Ron's legs with a glare from the victim.   The twins exchanged glances and shook their heads in mock exasperation before continuing with their tests.

            "So what are these exactly?" asked Harry, holding up a bag of dirt-colored pellets.

            "Ah, that is for us to know and you to find out when this goes on sale," replied George.

            "After we test it, of course, which we have to do right away if we're going to stay on top so, it was nice seeing you and we hope you'll come again soon!   Bye!" added Fred, shooing them out of the room.

            Ron rolled his eyes and said, "C'mon Harry, let's go see if we can find Hermione.   Obviously, we're not wanted here,"

            Harry snorted derisively before nodding, following Ron out of the shop, and giving one last wave to Lee.

            Once they were outside, however, they decided that the best way to find Hermione was to split up.

"I'll meet you across the street from Madam Malkins' in about half an hour, okay?" said Harry.   Ron nodded and so, Harry went to the left and Ron went to the right.   Ron really wasn't in a hurry; he walked nonchalantly past each large display window, pausing every now and then to look at something that caught his eye.   He looked around in Flourish and Blotts, thinking that Hermione was most likely going to be in there and came up empty-handed, so to speak.   After a quick trip to Quidditch supplies store he was about to walk past Madam Malkins' Robe Shop when the door opened and he ran into someone, causing her to drop everything she had in her arms.

            "Oh!" she said, clearly surprised at this sudden collision.   "I'm so sorry, it was my fault," she added.

            "No, don't apologize, it was mine, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he replied, and with that he bent down to help her pick up her belongings and bags.   She thanked him, smiled, and then, for the first time, looked him straight in the face.

            "Wait," he thought to himself, "isn't that Cho Chang?"

            As he looked closer he realized that it _was_ Cho and that she was… staring at him.   He cleared his throat uncomfortably and she seemed to realize that she had been gawking at him because she quickly averted her gaze to the floor and colored slightly.

            "So… I guess I'll see you at school?" she said after a few minutes.

            Still slightly confused, he said, "Yeah," smiled, and, spotting Harry and Hermione, walked towards them, feeling Cho's eyes lift from the ground to follow his every move.   Hermione held out her arms and gave him a warm embrace before saying, "How was your summer?"

            "All right," he replied, his thoughts still on Cho's bizarre actions.   When he finally looked back at Madam Malkins' she was gone.

************************

A/N: So, that was the first chapter!   Now that you've read, please be kind enough to review and you'll receive my personal thanks and replies in the next chapter.   I would send you gifts of money, but as nobody's reviewed yet and I'm broke, that doesn't work out too well… oh, and I'm sorry this chapter seems a bit sluggish, I promise the pace will pick up in a little while.   So?   What are you waiting for?   Review already!   Okay, sorry, I'll stop harassing you. J


	2. Another collision

A/N: All right then… I have no takers for reviewing the last chapter… yet.   Anyway, plodding on forward with the story!   And hopefully, some kind soul will console me with a review for this chapter (*sniff*).   Okay, well, here goes!

Disclaimer: not mine, blah, blah, blah, so on and so forth

Chapter 2 

            "Are you sure you're all right dear?" asked Mrs. Chang, a concerned expression on her face.

            "Yes Mum, I'm fine," said Cho, lying for what felt like the millionth time that day, or that summer, for that matter.   

            "You look a bit pale; are you absolutely certain you can go to the train station by yourself?"

            "Yes, I told you, I'm fine," Cho persisted.

            Mrs. Chang narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion, but questioned her daughter no further.   

            "All right, fine, go on, don't forget to write," she said after a heavy sigh, taking Cho in her arms for one last warm embrace.

            "I won't," Cho promised, sealing her oath with the second genuine smile she had given since her encounter with Ron.   Her mother, seeing the authenticity of Cho's grin for the first time in months took it as a sign that she really was going to be all right and, in knowing this, visibly relaxed.

            With slightly watery eyes, she watched as Cho gathered her things together and, with one final wave, Disapparate to her last year at Hogwarts.

            "You can't always be this protective of her, you know," said her husband, coming to stand beside her as she stared out the window at absolutely nothing.

            "I know, it's just that… she's been so… distant ever since Cedric died and she just seems to drift farther and farther away until I feel like she's completely out of my reach," she replied, the tears she had struggled to contain, flowing freely down her cheeks.

            "Shh," comforted Mr. Chang, wrapping his arms around his wife protectively, "It'll be all right, you'll see.   It'll be all right."

************************

            With a loud CRACK Cho found herself standing right on the other side of the barrier that served as the entranceway to Platform 9 and ¾.   With difficulty, she managed to find an abandoned trolley and wheel it towards the familiar scarlet train, weaving through the crowd carefully and trying not to trod on anyone's feet.   When she was right in the middle of the dense mass composed of parents and students, she spotted a familiar head of strawberry-blonde hair and debated with herself as to whether or not she should call out towards her friend.   She chose the latter and continued to make her way to the train.   When she had reached an entrance, a new problem arose; how on earth was she going to get her heavy trunk onto the train all by herself?   All of the previous years, she had had at least one fellow male classmate take pity on her and help her, but none of them seemed to be anywhere in sight.   So she just stood there, basically muttering to herself, causing several parents to hurry their children's footsteps.

            "…or maybe I could… no, that wouldn't work… I could also… no, magic isn't allowed outside of Hogwarts unless it's for an emergency and I really don't think this is one… oh, what am I going to do?" she finally cried out in despair, although it was barely audible due to all of the conversations going on around her at the same time.

            "Cho!" called a voice.   She turned around and came face-to-face with Michael.

            "Oh, hey Michael," she replied casually, acting as if she wasn't in the middle of a dilemma.

            "Need help with your trunk?" 

            "Yeah, thanks, that would be _really_ helpful," she said gratefully, flashing him a grin albeit another fake one.

            Michael simply glowed with pride at her grateful expression, proving that love really is blind and hoisted her trunk onto the steps.   Once it was safely on the train, he insisted on carrying it for her to the compartment of her choice and helping her put it away in the luggage compartment.   Cho thanked him with a kiss on the cheek, her facial expression softened to a real, although small, smile.   After he had gone off to get his own trunk, her eyes started to fill with tears of remorse at how she had been treating him.   Michael was such a sweetheart, helping her and always trying to make her happy.

            She sighed and brushed her tears away.   It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair to him and it wasn't fair to her.   She wasn't being true to how she was really feeling and Michael deserved someone better than she was.   She should let him go… but the problem was, she was afraid to.   She was afraid of losing somebody who cared about her that much; 

she was afraid of being alone.   Yes, she should, but she was too afraid to.

            "Cho?   You all right?"

            Cho looked up to see that Michael had returned and put away his trunk and was now staring at her pink nose and slightly red eyes.   She sniffed and nodded vigorously before putting on a falsely cheery voice and starting up a would-be normal conversation.

            "So, did it work out between Jake and that Hufflepuff you were talking about?" she started, snuggling into the warmth of his arms and resting her head on his shoulder, trying to compensate for her slightly cold behavior at Diagon Alley, although she knew very well that he hadn't noticed it; she was doing this to assuage the pangs of guilt she was still feeling.

            Struggling to ignore the rush of excitement that coursed through him when she put herself in this affectionate position he replied shakily, "Oh fine, fine.   In fact, I think I saw them snogging two compartments down from this one,"

            Cho laughed and said, "Well, mission accomplished,"

            "Yeah," replied Michael distantly, laying his head on top of hers.

            Soothed by the gentle sway of the train and overcome with fatigue due to the fact that she hadn't slept a wink the night before, Cho soon fell asleep and remained so for the majority of the trip.   Twenty minutes before the train was to come to a stop, Michael gently shook her awake.

            "Cho… wake up.   You might want to get changed into your school robes,"

            "Hmm?"

            "I said, you might want to get changed now."

            Cho opened an eye and looked up at Michael, who had untangled himself from her a few minutes earlier to change and was now standing over her with a look of utmost satisfaction, as if just being able to gaze upon her was one of the greatest gifts he could ever hope to receive.   As she saw this, the feeling of guilt crept back into her stomach, causing it to clench up slightly and make her feel a bit nauseous.

            She yawned, and reluctantly opened her other eye before getting up to rummage in her trunk to find her uniform and robes.

            "I'm going to go and see if Jake needs any help with anything, all right?" said Michael, sliding open the compartment door and preparing to step out to give Cho some privacy.

            "What would he need help with?" Cho said, raising an eyebrow.

            "Unhinging his lips from his girlfriend's, most likely," Michael replied, smirking.

            Cho rolled her eyes and gave a gesture with her hand, telling him to go ahead.   Once she had gotten changed, she fixed her hair and went out into the train corridor to find Michael.   However, no sooner than she had walked three feet, the train gave a jolt as it came to a screeching halt at the station.   She would have fallen if the compartment door on her left hadn't opened at the exact same moment as the train had thrown her forwards and someone caught her.

            Cho held on to the person's strong arms and tried to recover from dizzying experience.   Indeed, her head was spinning painfully as the blood at her temples throbbed and made her head feel like it was a bomb waiting to explode.

            "Thanks," she managed to get out after a few seconds.   "I owe you one,"

            "No problem," said the boy who was holding her.

            That voice…

            Cho looked up, and felt a jolt of horror go down her spine; it was the one and only Ron Weasley who had his arms around her.   She suddenly flushed and Ron, seeming to realize how awkward this position was, let go of her.   Soon, she was aware of many pairs of eyes behind her, staring inquisitively at her and Ron.

"Shit," was the first thing that came to her mind.   On top of it all, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville's eyes now added to the number, theirs from inside the compartment.  Before she could say another word, Michael had found her and dragged her away.

            "C'mon Cho," he said, "we need to go find a carriage soon so that we won't have to sit with someone we don't want to sit with."   And with that, he shot Ron a dirty look and bustled his girlfriend off of the train, following the crowd of students swarming towards the carriages (or, in the first years' cases, towards Hagrid).

            Once they had found a carriage, Michael practically slammed the door before anyone else could get in and then turned on Cho with a deathly glare.

            "What the hell were you doing with _him_?" he snarled, suspicion and anger etched clearly on his face.

            "I tripped when the train stopped and he just happened to catch me," she replied coolly, giving him a cold and defiant look.

            "Oh _really_?   Why was he holding you like that for so long then?" he said, his eyes returning the challenge that her face was sending him.

            "Michael, grow up!   It was only for a few seconds and my head hurt, so I had to hold onto something!   Is that a crime?   Besides, it's not like you own me or anything!   Yes, you _are_ my boyfriend and yes, you do have a right to be _slightly_ protective of me, but that doesn't mean you can blow something like this so out of proportion!"    She was now yelling as well, her face turning slightly red again.

            Michael sighed and rubbed his temples.   "Look, I'm sorry, ok?   It's just that… seeing you with any other guy just makes me lose my head,"

            "Yeah, I guess," said Cho, starting to feel slightly sorry about yelling at him.

            "I'm sorry,"

            "Me too,"

            Michael gave her a small smile before pulling her into a hug.   As he held her in this position, she suddenly realized that the jolt she had felt earlier while Ron was holding her in a similar way wasn't of horror.   In fact, it was the exact opposite.

************************

            "Do we have everything?" asked Mrs. Weasley, looking around anxiously.

            "Yes," replied everyone in monotone.

            "Everyone?"

            "Yes,"

            "All right then, I guess we're all set to go!" said Mrs. Weasley, breathing an audible sigh of relief.  

            The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were all clustered together on the sidewalk, preparing themselves for the new school year, students and parents alike.

            Mr. Weasley, with a signal from Mrs. Weasley telling him that they were all ready, held out his right arm and with a loud BANG the infamous Knight Bus appeared, the same as always, triple-decked and all.

            One by one they filed onto the bus and then proceeded to search for a seat.   Luckily, there were two groups of armchairs that were empty and they gladly occupied them.   The trip to the station was normal, from the haphazard driving of the bus driver to the constant complaints about having to pick themselves up off of the floor at each stop.

            "When I said that I never wanted to get on the Knight Bus again, I meant it," groaned Ron, picking himself up from the floor once again.

            "Oh, stop your griping Ron, it isn't that bad," said Hermione, who had managed to stay in her seat somehow for the entire ride.

            "Yeah?   Well, I'm not the one who stayed in my chair the entire time.   Merlin's beard!   How the heck do you manage it?" he shot back, falling out of his seat once more as they stopped somewhere in Surrey to drop off a large group of giggling witches.

            Soon, the scenery outside of the bus had changed to show the busy streets of London, muggles (and magic folk in disguise) rushing around, trying to get places.

            "Well everyone, here we are!" said Mr. Weasley brightly, as everyone, except for Hermione, picked themselves off of the floor for the last time and willingly headed for the exit.

            Once they had all gotten trolleys and walked through the barrier, Mr. Weasley with a bit of difficulty ("Oh, Molly, _please_ can't I just stay out here for a moment and look at that new escapator they added?"), Ginny walked off to meet up with Dean and left Ron, Hermione, and Harry to go find a compartment themselves.

            "Here we are, this looks like a good one," said Hermione when they were halfway down the train.

            "How can you say that?   They all look the same to me," said Ron, still disgruntled at the fact that Hermione had managed to keep her seat from tipping over on the bus.

            Her only reply was to roll her eyes at him and drag her trunk into the compartment she had chosen.   Ron and Harry followed suit, Ron still muttering darkly to himself, the only really intelligible words being "women" and "gone absolutely daft."   Harry sat down by the window and stared outside, silently watching parents saying their last good-byes to their children.   

            "Sirius came to the station to say good-bye to me last year," he thought.   "And it's because of me that he's not going to be able to do that anymore,"

            "Harry?" asked Hermione tentatively.   "Are you all right?"

            Harry looked away from the window briefly to glance at her and say, "Yes," before turning back to it to continue his observations and berating himself mentally.

            Hermione threw a worried look to Ron, who in turn shrugged as if to say, "I don't know what else we can do for him that we haven't already done,"

            As the day went on, Harry kept up his silent reverie and replied to everyone in mostly monosyllabic answers.   Even as Ginny and Neville joined them, he made no move to greet them in the friendly way that he had always done before.   He just cast himself off from the rest of the group and caused the atmosphere around him to feel tense and uneasy, not to mention worried at his sudden mood change.

            "Harry, do you want something off of the food trolley?" inquired Ginny gently when the cart came around at its usual hour.

            "No," was the brusque reply.

            "Are you absolutely sure?"

            "Yes,"

            Ginny sighed and shook her head to tell the woman that none of them wanted anything from the trolley.   The woman smiled sympathetically, sensing their discomfort, and moved on.

            "Hey Harry, did you see Marietta?   You know, Cho's friend?" said Neville, trying to stir up a conversation.

            "No," said Harry, keeping his gaze to the countryside passing by them outside the window.

            "She apparently didn't completely follow Madam Pomfrey's directions on how to treat and get rid of her boils and, well, she has a lot of little scars where they used to be.   So when you look at her, it's like she's been labeled or something.   Now everyone's going to know her as 'the sneak.'   Isn't that funny?" Neville said, trying to be pleasant and casual.

            "Mm," was all Harry said, never averting his gaze.

            When the train had come to a halt, everyone headed for the door a lot more eagerly than usual, Harry lagging behind.   Ron, leading the group, looked back at Harry, who was still in his own little world before opening the door and stepping out… just in time to catch somebody.

            Too shocked to say or do anything, he only had enough mental clarity to respond to the firm grip the girl had on his arms, signaling that she needed support.   Dumbly, he held onto her until she had gathered her wits enough to say unsteadily, "Thanks, I owe you one,"

            "No problem," his voice automatically said.

            At the sound of his voice, the girl's head jerked upward and looked him in the eye.

            It was certainly… unexpected.   Running into Cho twice was a bit uncanny, but what did that imply?   

            Again, she colored and Ron, seeing how suspicious their current position looked, let go of her and before he could say anything else, her boyfriend Michael came and whisked her away.   By now half of the student population was staring at him, and some whispering in the back had started to circulate throughout the entire group.

            "Great," Ron thought.   "By tomorrow the entire school is going to be talking about the 'latest couple,' "

            When they had stepped off of the train, Hermione headed towards one carriage that was closest to the train.   However, before she or anybody else could get inside it, the door had slammed and it had started to head towards the castle.

            "Humph!" said Hermione huffily.   "That was rude!"

            It was only a few minutes later when they heard someone yelling from inside of it, and they all exchanged glances before looking at Harry.   He said nothing still, but now he looked more alert and confusion was one of the feelings that mingled together to form the strange expression on his face.   Suddenly, a look of understanding dawned on him and, for the first time in a while, he smiled and chatted happily with the rest of them.

************************

A/N: Okay, well, I'll try to make the next chapter longer, just to satisfy myself, I guess and hopefully somebody will be nice enough to review.   Please? (flashes puppy eyes expression)


	3. Three weeks of surprises

A/N: Yay!   I got 3 reviews!    Pathetic, isn't it?   Anyway, moving on with business!

To Hermione Double: Thanks so much for reviewing!   I thought this fic would be really original, so I just decided to go with it.   Anyway, keep reading/reviewing!

To Thestral91: I really, really needed your review 'cause I've been having crappy luck with getting any, and it just made my day!   Personally, I think you can just go ahead and have Ron, etc. blah, blah, blah; you get what I'm saying, right? J 

To LogicalRaven: Thanks for your feedback; I really appreciate it! Okay, well, please don't like, hate me forever and ever or anything, but I just did this particular story line because it's different and I wanted to do something really original, you know?   If they do kiss (and there's a good chance that they will) I promise, I won't drag it out and be excruciatingly detailed, for your sake, 'kay?   And if you think this is wrong, what about Draco/Hermione stories?   They might be cute together and all, but they would SO never happen in the books.   Get my point here?   You know, I could rant on and on about this… Ginny/Lupin stories are WRONG as are Hermione/Lupin, Hermione/Snape, etc. so on and so forth.   I'm still willing to give them a chance though, as long as they're well written.   Anyway, I'm so glad you're going to give this story a chance, and I think you might like it a lot more later on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   End of discussion.

By the way… three cheers for Hermione Double, Thestral91, and LogicalRaven!   Do I look like a loser yet?   Well, I'd better stop now, just in case.   Oh, and one more thing, for everybody.   Please, please, _please_ take the time to read through my author's notes, or anyone else's for that matter because sometimes they're really, really important.   Got it?   Okay, I'll shut up now.

Chapter 3 

            Cho had never been one to starve or deprive herself of food in order to improve her appearance in one way or another.   Her image had never really been that big of an issue with her, seeing as she already had a slim body that curved just right, fashion model style.   She had never skipped meals because she wasn't hungry, and she had never really worried about whether or not she should take that second helping of pudding because her figure was genetically made to stay the way it was come hell or high water.   The only time she had been close to skipping a meal was the night Dumbledore had informed the entire school about Cedric.   Her tears were the only nourishment she had needed at the time, and after one spoonful of soup, she left the rest of the food untouched.

            Which was why Michael was now looking quizzically at her, wondering why she wasn't eating anything at all, despite the thick, tempting aroma wafting from the golden platters in front of them.   She hadn't even taken a sip from her drink; she just left it there, staring at it occasionally, boring her eyes into the orange liquid, watching the occasional ripples on its surface whenever the table shook from activities of some raucous Ravenclaws fooling around on the other end.

            "Cho?   Are you all right?"

            "Hmm?" she said, looking up for the first time since they had sat down at the table.

            "Aren't you going to eat something?"

            "Oh, no, I'm all right.   I'm just not that hungry,"

            "Do you feel sick?"

            "No, I'm just… thinking a lot, I guess."

            "Well, couldn't you think and eat at the same time?"

            But it was no use.    She had already gone back to staring at her plate, then her cup, and then her plate again, making her look like she had gone stark raving mad for the second time that day.

            _Why did I like it when Ron held me that way?_ She thought.   _I can't have… feelings for him.   Can I?   I don't even know him…I've been really tired lately.   Maybe I was just hallucinating.   That's it… I imagined the whole thing.   Feelings?   Why would I have feelings for him?  And Ron Weasley, of all people, Harry Potter's best friend!   No, I don't have feelings for him…but then again, I've never really felt that way before, not even with Cedric… was I really hallucinating?   Maybe I was.   I know I was.   Damn it Cho, you already have a boyfriend, just forget about Ron and concentrate on him!_

            After mulling it over in her mind for a few more minutes, she had finally come to a firm conclusion that she really had imagined the whole thing, regardless of whatever it was she felt.   With this in mind instead of the previous disturbing thoughts, Cho suddenly realized that she was absolutely starving and immediately began to fill up her plate.

            "Found your lost appetite?" said Michael teasingly, noticing her sudden change in mood and hunger.

            "Yep," she said, smiling, but more to herself than anyone else.

            It would all have been fine if she hadn't looked up from her plate for that one brief moment and caught the eyes of a certain redheaded Gryffindor.

************************

            "Ron, think logically, the Chudley Cannons haven't won a single game in ages," argued Dean Thomas.

            "That still doesn't mean they're not going to win one ever again," said Ron, who was still a blind believer in his favorite team.   Leaning over to Ginny, he said, "Honestly, and you think he's better than Michael Corner…"

            "Oh, so does that mean Michael was the better choice?" she replied cheekily.

            "I- you- no!" Ron stammered furiously, going slightly red in the face.

            "That's what I thought," she said, interlacing her fingers with Dean's.

            "Gin, I can't eat with one hand," he complained.

            She snorted before letting go saying, "Guys are _so_ unromantic nowadays."

            "So, Harry, why the sudden mood change?" said Ron, turning to his friend, who was still smirking faintly.

            "Oh, let's just say someone got what they deserved," Harry said, unconsciously glancing over at the Ravenclaw table.

            "Cho?" Ron said, noticing exactly where Harry's eyes had wandered for a few moments.

            "What makes you say that?" he said sharply.

            "Does it really matter?" was the reply, emphasized with a shrug.

            "No, I guess not… I heard Michael and Cho yelling at each other in their carriage.   Remember when one of the doors got slammed in Hermione's face?"

            "That was their stagecoach?"

            "Yeah," Harry replied in malicious glee.

            Ron shook his head.   "You're right, he did deserve it.   The asshole had the nerve to dump _my_ little sister,"

            "Well, I don't think she really cares that much, do you?"

            "Nah, she obviously wasn't that serious about him or she wouldn't have gotten over him so quickly."

            "Right now, I doubt if she'll have a serious relationship before next year."

            "Hey, you never know," said Harry.   "She surprised you when you found out she actually had a boyfriend, she could surprise you again,"

            "Maybe," said Ron, and for some reason unknown to him, he glanced back at the Ravenclaw table at Cho.

            Michael had definitely deserved to be yelled at, but did Cho?   How could anyone be really sure that she had gone out with Michael to benefit herself and drive Harry insane?   When she glanced up and looked into his eyes, he found something unexpected.   In her eyes, the supposed mirrors of our souls, he saw that she wasn't completely happy and when Michael started talking to her and she looked away, she recoiled when Michael kissed her softly on the forehead.   Did she deserve it?   Ron contemplated this question and a small voice in his head answered, "No…"

************************

            Hermione stared out the window towards the Quidditch field, watching a figure with red hair fly around the tall goalposts around one end of the field, completely lost in thought.   She sighed heavily before closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall of the tower.

            "Why do I even feel this way about him?" she thought to herself.   "Why can't he notice me?   I need help, but from who?   Ginny?   No, I don't think so… she's my friend, but she might accidentally tell Harry or someone.   Besides, I should ask someone with more experience.   After all, I'm not the type of person to switch boyfriends every six months or so… Lavender?   No, too giggly and annoying… Parvati?   No, she'd immediately suggest a makeover of some sort and a serious personality change… think, Hermione, think!   Who has actually had a serious, long relationship, besides Ginny?   Cho!   Maybe she could give me some advice… unless she's going to bite my head off for supposedly 'stealing' Harry from her… I could always try though, couldn't I?"     And with one final glance at the field, she slipped on her shoes and set off to find the Ravenclaw to seek some words of wisdom.

************************

            Cho stared at the piece of paper, blinking hard in disbelief.   It was over.   Michael had broken up with her.   She looked the note over again and again to make sure that she hadn't missed anything or misunderstood what he had written, but no mistake, it was there in black ink on a small piece of parchment.

Cho- 

_I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore.   After what I saw in the hallway, I see that you've probably moved on to someone else and so I'm letting you go free to do what you want.   Sorry it didn't work out._

_-Michael_

            Cho's world had somehow been turned upside down and inside out in the past three weeks, although it had certainly seemed much longer and this note was the finishing touch to her confusion.   It had all started on Saturday, the first Hogsmeade weekend when she and Michael had gone to the village with the rest of the students.   They separated, promising to meet each other at The Three Broomsticks for butterbeers three hours later after they had finished all of their early Christmas shopping.

            She had entered a brand new shop full of delicate trinkets and other things of that sort and was looking at a bracelet for her mother when someone tapped her on the shoulder.   She turned around and came face-to-face with Hermione Granger.

            "Ah yes, Hermione, the most important girl in Harry's life," she thought, still bent on her immature and inaccurate theory that she had formulated the previous year.   Scowling, she said sharply, "What do you want?"

            "I…" she started, her voice faltering as Cho glared at her, clearly terrified.   Cho saw this and relaxed, changing her expression to a neutral one.

            "What do you want?" she asked again, more calmly, although still rather cold.

            "I was wondering… if you could…" she slowly started, pausing after each short phrase as if she was still debating whether or not she wanted to tell her.

            "Yes…?" Cho said, starting to get a bit impatient.

            "Well, I sort of need some help," she finally said vaguely.

            "What kind of help?"

            "Er…" Hermione swallowed hard and turned pink before muttering something.

            "Sorry, I didn't catch that," Cho said.

            "I need some boy help," she said, a little bit louder.

            "You- you need _what_?" said the astonished girl.

            "I need boy help," Hermione repeated, biting her lip.

            "Oh I see, Harry acting strangely?" Cho asked angrily.   "Is that it?"

            "What?!" she said, just as surprised as Cho was moments ago.   Then her eyes widened in realization and she said, "Oh!   No, it's not Harry, we were never even together.   It's about Ron,"

            Cho felt as though she had been hit in the face with a ton of bricks.

            "R-Ron?" she said hoarsely, her voice barely making its way out of her throat.

            "Yes," said Hermione, starting to blush more furiously.

            Cho slapped herself mentally.   How could she be so stupid?   Of course Hermione had never been more than a friend to Harry, they had never shown any of the public signs of affection that any normal couple would, and besides, Ron was always the one she fought with, not Harry.   Didn't that mean something?   Shouldn't she have noticed that only Hermione and Ron ever fought, sometimes publicly, almost certainly in private as well, and never she and Harry?   That was the first sign of attraction in the case of a girl with Hermione's personality, as Cho had learned from experience with countless fellow Ravenclaws in her dormitory.

            And now, why was her throat constricting painfully as she tried to say Ron's name?   Why was she longing to turn and run away from Hermione and never look back?   Did this mean that she…?   

            "No!   Cho, we've already been through this!" her mind screamed at her.   "You feel absolutely nothing for him!   Ron is just another face in the crowd!"

            "Sure, Hermione, I'll help you, but now isn't a really good time, so meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight at 8:00, okay?" she heard herself say.

            Hermione looked up from the spot on the floor where she had been staring at for the last few minutes at Cho's words and looked slightly shocked.   "You mean… you're not going to say no?"

            "That's right, I'm going to help you." She repeated.   "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go meet someone,"   And with that she paid for the bracelet and walked away before Hermione could say a word of thanks to her.

            "You can do this, Cho," she reassured herself.   "You don't have any feelings for Ron and helping Hermione will prove it.   When you see the two of them together, you'll be happy for them and you won't regret helping her one bit.   Not- one- bit."

            Later, that night in the Astronomy Tower, Cho paced back and forth frantically, wringing her hands and fidgeting uncomfortably.   She repeatedly checked her watch and hoped that Hermione hadn't forgotten and finally just sat down on the floor, leaned against the wall, took out her quill from her bag, and began to write down ideas for what Hermione could do to catch Ron's attention, etc., etc., etc.   

            At last, at 8:30, although it certainly felt much longer than thirty minutes to Cho, Hermione arrived; bag barely hanging from her shoulder by one strap, out of breath, and her wild curls flying everywhere.

            "Sorry- Cho," she panted.   "Harry- and Ron- wouldn't let me off- and I came- as soon as I could,"

            "It's all right," Cho said good-naturedly.   "Sit, and catch your breath and then we'll start,"

            Hermione gratefully did so, and she settled herself down on the floor across from Cho.

            Once her breathing had reached a normal rate again, Cho added the finishing touches to the hasty list she had thrown together while she had been waiting and straightened up.

            "Okay, Hermione, so what exactly do you need help with, as far as getting Ron to go out with you goes?" she said, unrolling the list and preparing herself to scratch out several things she had written that wouldn't apply to Hermione's situation.

            "Well, I've liked him for a long time now and I'm not sure he feels the same way.   It's not exactly an issue on getting him to notice me, and I really don't want to change my looks or how I act to make him like me, if he doesn't already," she started.

            "All right," Cho said, crossing out several items on her list.   "You wouldn't mind just a _little_ change to your looks though, would you?   And flirting is probably going to play a small part too… what do you think?"

            "Yeah, that would be fine, as long as I don't look like a slut and have to act like an idiot," she said.

            "I agree, you don't want to scare him with any abnormal behavior or appearance, so we'll keep the alterations to a minimal, but still enough to have some sort of impact on him," said Cho in a professional tone, making several notes on the roll of parchment.   "Ron doesn't look like the type of guy who'd go for a really artificial girl anyway,"

            "Well, there was that Fleur Delacour girl," Hermione said, "but, then again, she was part veela, so I don't think he would pick someone like that either… but yeah, I guess a few changes wouldn't hurt,"

            "Okay, so let's see, we don't really have that much to work with, given the information you just gave me," she said, giving Hermione a once-over to see what she could do to be a bit more eye-catching and alluring.   "You have a nice, thin face proportioned just right, you just look a little plain and pale.   But you have a great complexion and your face is pretty much pimple-free, so we won't have to worry about concealer or foundation too much, make-up wise.   You might need a little bit of blush to show off your cheekbones more and put more color in your cheeks… you could definitely benefit from some eye make-up though.  Oh, and a few tips with your wardrobe, don't be shy.   For example, you have really nice legs, try to show them off a little bit more with skirts that are at least an inch shorter than what you wear now, believe me, an inch can make all the difference.   And when you're talking to him, try to send little hints to him.  If you're talking about the next Hogsmeade trip, make a big deal about wanting to go and telling Harry all about everything might help a bit too.   Do you need me to write this down for you?" she asked, seeing the expression on Hermione's face.

            "Um… yeah, that would be good," the dizzy Gryffindor replied.  

            Cho's quill zoomed back and forth over the parchment, scribbling like mad and more than compensating for the many suggestions she had taken off of the list that weren't necessary making sure to add a few more tips on applying the make-up, as she was most likely not going to be familiar with the usual techniques and rules.

            "There you go," she said, rolling up the paper and handing it to Hermione.   "Just look over the first few things on there and update me once a week.   I guess we could meet every Thursday, say, same time same place?"

            "That'd be fine with me," said Hermione, putting away the roll in her bag and standing up again.

            "But I really think you should consider telling Harry about it, I think he could really help if given the chance," Cho said, standing as well.   "What time is it?"

            Hermione glanced at her watch and said, "9:30, time goes by quickly doesn't it?"

            "Yeah," Cho said before smiling at her and walking out the door at a brisk pace towards the Ravenclaw dormitories.   "See?" she said to herself.   "You can do it, and that proves that Ron doesn't matter,"

            The next week, when they met again, Hermione was obviously very satisfied with the results of the session they had last week, and walking into the tower, started off with throwing her arms around Cho in a hug of ecstasy.

            "So I take that as a sign that my notes helped?" she said when Hermione had finally let go of her.

            Being a person who didn't normally squeal and act extremely excited, it was rather a sight to see Hermione do both unashamedly in front of her before finally settling down to tell the whole story.

            "Yes!   I told Harry about it, like you told me to, and it's been a really big help, like you said it would be.   I'm not sure if it's just me, but I think Ron is looking at me a bit differently now, he talks to me a lot more now, again, I'm not sure if it's me, but I think there's definitely some potential for a date sometime in the future," she said, a wide grin on her face the entire time.

            "She calls that progress?  It's really vague… wow, she must really be desperate; it doesn't really sound like much improvement to me…" Cho thought, not quite as pleased as Hermione was.

            "Okay, well, don't get too excited yet though.   Considering how long it's taken Ron to notice you, this is a big improvement, but it's not quite to that point where you can tell whether or not he's head-over-heels for you or anything.   Let's just keep taking this one step at a time," she said calmly, wracking her brain to try to think of something else Hermione could work on.   "Now that you've got his attention, don't lose it by being to eager to be around him and talk to him.   Play some hard-to-get; tease him a little, the bottom line being to keep him on his toes.   _Don't_ however, play too-hard-to-get, that'll guarantee failure, as I've learned from experience… I think you know what I mean,"

            Hermione nodded and sobered up at Cho's words, concentrating more carefully on the advice being given.   

            "Okay, good.   I'll be watching you over the next week and if you need to tone down on your behavior, I'll raise my eyebrows at you, and if you need to turn it up a bit, I'll tuck some of my hair behind my ear.   If you're good, then I'll nod.   I think that covers just about everything, um, why don't you just owl me from now on with updates on how everything's going, okay?   If you really, really, really need to talk to me, write me and we'll meet here same time as always." Cho said, starting to get up, even though twenty minutes had barely passed by.   "You're a smart girl, you'll catch on quickly enough.   Remember, keep him on his toes,"

            "Got it," Hermione said, seemingly a little disappointed at such a short session, but after all, there couldn't be much more to it than Cho had laid down for her in black and white, as plain as day.

            "If you give me your schedule, I'll make sure I'll see you at least once during the day on my way to classes," Cho said, straightening out her skirt and brushing off the small particles of dust that still clung to it. 

            "All right, hold on a minute," she replied, scribbling down her schedule quickly on a spare piece of parchment and handing it to Cho.

            And with that they had gone their separate ways.   Immediately, the following day, Cho began to make sure (besides mealtimes) that she had a chance to glance at Hermione and check on how she was doing.   Before Transfiguration, she purposely steered Michael, who was walking her to class, towards the massive double doors that opened to the grounds to catch Hermione before she walked to Herbology instead of the usual shortcut he took with her by stairway, which led to both their classes, lying about wanting to take a more scenic route that day, "because I feel like it,"  

            Hermione walked by, just in time, giggling a little bit too loudly at some joke Ron had made to be real.   She spotted Cho, saw the raised eyebrows, and lowered the volume on her laughs.   The next time they crossed paths was when after dinner when they were heading back to their common rooms to relax for the evening and Cho had seen Hermione acting a little bit too longing towards Ron, and making him look slightly confused and uncomfortable.   She seized the opportunity to charm Michael's shoelaces under her breath so that he had to bend down and work on the almost impossible knots they had tied themselves into when he wasn't looking and mouthed to Hermione while her boyfriend cursed and fumed over his shoelaces, "Play hard to get!"

            She nodded, and backed off, deepening Ron's confusion, but clearly intriguing him by presenting him with the new challenge of having to chase after the opportunity instead of depending on it being handed to him on a golden platter.   By the next day, Hermione had already gotten Ron to ask her out on a date set for the next Hogsmeade weekend, and Cho had promised to be there as well to follow her unseen.

            Michael, however, had seemed to grow more and more distant every day, now that she had come to think of it, and instead of walking her to class like he usually did, he usually strayed off somewhere with one of his own friends after breakfast or lunch before heading towards his own classes.   At first, she had been too busy helping Hermione to notice this, but once she had gotten the hang of things, Cho began to pay more attention to her surroundings and started to feel more and more suspicious.

            Her flying was growing increasingly worse during Quidditch practice, as her mind was usually on something else besides the practice itself, and in a burst of frustration and exasperation, she had been suspended from the team, "until you come back from your little dream world and can play properly again,"   

The full force of these words didn't hit her until after practice when she had relaxed enough to concentrate on something besides Hermione and Ron and how everything was falling into place.   She loved Quidditch, but it seemed like it was just one of those things that she had to give up for a while until she had completely finished with helping Hermione.

On the fateful day Hermione was supposed to go to Hogsmeade with Ron, Michael had said that he didn't feel well and told Cho to go on to the village without him, which was perfectly fine with her; now she could pay a bit more close attention to the couple without any interruptions or interrogations.

She met up with Hermione outside the gates and told her that she'd always be at least five feet behind her, if she needed anything.   She nodded and Cho shifted to the side before hiding behind a tall Hufflepuff to conceal herself more.   She watched as Ron came walking down the grounds and offered his arm to Hermione, who gladly took it.

She followed them all the way into The Three Broomsticks after doing so as they walked into several shops, looking around, but not really buying anything.   Ron went to buy butterbeers for the two of them, and Cho took this opportunity to coach Hermione some more.

"… sometimes you need to make the first move, you know?   It's obvious that he's liked you for a long time now, but he just can't seem to take that many hints.   Just try to make sure that he's comfortable and that you don't smother him or anything."

"Got it," she replied before saying hurriedly, "He's coming back,"

Cho looked and saw Ron coming towards them and, nodding politely to him, walked back to her table.

She saw him looking at her suspiciously, and before long, they got up again and left.   As she made to follow them again, however, Marietta happened to show up with a few of her other friends.

"Come on Cho," she whined, "you've been ignoring us for long enough now.   We're going to make you have some fun for a change, even if it kills us trying!"

And with that, she was practically dragged out of the pub and down the street, in the exact opposite direction as Hermione and Ron were heading.   Hermione looked back and Cho mouthed, "I'm sorry, you're on your own now,"

Although she couldn't understand half of what she had mouthed, she understood that Cho would no longer be able to tag along behind her.   She mouthed back,  "Okay," and gave her the thumbs-up to signify that she had everything under control.

Everything would have been perfect and gone exactly as planned between the two of them if something hadn't happened to ruin it.

On the third Saturday after her first meeting with Hermione, Cho had decided to go to the library to get some of her homework done that she had been neglecting for a while now and was due the following Monday.   So, with a feeling of great self-sacrifice and sympathy, she pushed open the old doors and walked towards the very back to find a table to work on.   

No sooner than she had walked past five aisles she heard sounds.   She froze in her tracks, listening closely to the noises.   They definitely weren't animal calls of some sort, and the librarian certainly wasn't making them.   In fact, it almost sounded as if…

She crept a bit closer and peeked through a gap in the books in the row next to the one where the sounds were coming from and was greeted with a most surprising sight.   Harry and Hermione… making out. (A/N: Okay, this can mean different things, but in my definition it means they were just kissing with their clothes ON.)   Her eyes widened and she ran as fast as she could back towards the entrance, not caring about being inconspicuous, only obeying her instinct, which was telling her to get out of there.   She heard footsteps behind her, and upon hearing them, ran all the faster and didn't stop until she was home free.

Once back in the common room, she collapsed in a seat, panting rapidly.

"Only friends, huh?  Liar…" she muttered, as well as several other rather insulting comments.

All this replayed in her mind as she stared dumbstruck at the piece of paper as if it were something containing a curse of death.

"This is great," she thought sarcastically, putting the letter down on her dresser.   "Just peachy.   Suspended from the Quidditch team, dumped, and all that time spent with Hermione wasted when she didn't even like Ron in the first place."   She looked at the letter once more before tearing it to shreds and gathering the pieces up in her hands before letting them loose in the wind outside the window beside her bed.   She watched as the bits fluttered and dance as if they were alive, and, suddenly possessed with a fit of anger, she headed towards the boy's dormitories.

To say she was mad was an understatement; she was absolutely livid and shaking from the violent feelings of hate and frustration sweeping her body.   A fire seemed to have ignited inside of her and everything that had gone wrong kept replaying in her head as she completely trashed Michael's belongings and bed.   Destroying everything like someone gone mad, she ripped all of his schoolbooks into a pile of rubbish and tore his clothes until they were sad, tattered remains of what they used to be.  She pulled down the drapes around his bed, flung the covers off of the mattress, and then left them on the floor.  Breathing heavily, she leaned against the wall beside one of the beds and let out a frustrated sob before pulling her knees up against her, and, resting her head on them, crying until she had let it all out.   

Standing up and drying her tears, she flicked her wand, which had been left forgotten beside one of the other beds in the dormitory, and repaired everything and restored it back to normal.   Feeling drawn and worn out, she headed back to her own dormitory to get her broom.   She needed to fly again.

***********************

            "I'm going to the library," Hermione had announced that Saturday evening to Ron and Harry, who were playing a game of chess.   "I need to do some more research on that essay for Professor Binns… I'll see you guys later, okay?"

            They both nodded before turning back to their game.

            With a toss of her hair, she left the Gryffindor common room, bag slung over her shoulder, feeling the satisfaction of knowing that Ron was watching her every move as she left and thoroughly enjoying doing so.  Unknown to her, however, was the fact that a green-eyed, dark-haired wizard was also watching her closely.   

            It had all come as a big surprise.   When Hermione had first started flirting with Ron that fateful day at breakfast, wearing make-up and actually looking prettier than she had at the Yule Ball a few years ago, it was enough to make him choke on his pumpkin juice.   Which he did.   What surprised him the most, however, was the fact that she kept up the flirting charade and so, he started to go along with it.   In fact, he enjoyed it a great deal, probably more than he would have liked to confess, and the little game they had been playing had led to him asking her out.

            "Hey, 'Mione?"

            "Yes Ron?"

            She was looking at him curiously, although she wasn't woman of the world enough to hide the expectant and hopeful glitter in her eyes.

            "Would you- I mean, would you like to- what I'm trying to say is- will you go out with me?" he spluttered, stumbling over his word choices.

            "Sure," she had replied, breaking out into a wide smile that filled him with relief.   "Say, next Hogsmeade weekend?"

            "All right, the next Hogsmeade weekend it is," he said weakly.

            She had met him that day, looking beautiful, as usual, and walked with him wherever he wanted to go.   He was a bit apprehensive as to what one did on a date, this being his first one with anyone, so he just went to several shops before proposing going to get butterbeers.   She, of course, agreed immediately, and so they went.

            When he came back, Cho was sitting across from Hermione, leaned in closely so that whatever she said wouldn't be heard by anybody else.   He frowned slightly before Hermione looked up to see him and whisper something to Cho, who got up quickly and, nodding to acknowledge him, walked back to her own table.

            "What did she want?" he asked when he had sat down.

            "She just needed some help with something," Hermione lied easily.

            "Oh," he said.   When they had both drained their butterbeers (which didn't take that long, surprisingly) he got up first and then led her out the door.   Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn her head towards a large group of giggling girls behind them and mouth something to someone and then give them the thumbs-up.   Or was she just looking to see what the girls had been so giggly about?   But all of his thoughts flew away as she pulled him off to the side into Madam Puddifoot's café and led him for a change to a table in the back, surprising him by kissing him and holding his hand as well.

            Little did he know that when Hermione had left for the library that night, she would give him yet another surprise.

Three hours later, after Ron had won several games in a row, Harry said, "Listen, I'm going to go find Hermione and drag her back here if it's the last thing I do.   She spends too much time in the library anyway and she's going to work herself to death if she keeps on like this,"

"All right," said his friend, watching with a slightly arched eyebrow as he walked out of the portrait hole a little to eagerly than could be normal.   Feeling distrustful, he slipped out of the common room as well about thirty minutes later, grabbing Harry's invisibility cloak on the way and putting it on before heading towards the library.   When he got there, the first thing he saw was Cho, standing absolutely still and seeming to be on the alert for something.   That was when he heard it.   

Walking briskly towards the aisle that the moans were coming from, he poked his head around the end of the row as Cho looked through a space in the middle of it and saw them.   Together.

Cho slowly backed away from the bookshelf, unconscious of doing so and, without warning, started running.   Ron took one more look at Hermione and Harry before following suit and trying to catch up with her, taking off the cloak as he did so, and not really knowing why he wanted to catch up to her.   However, once she became aware of him following her, she gave a burst of speed and disappeared before he could say anything.

Neither one of them had noticed an extra pair of jealous eyes following the two of them, turning away before Cho disappeared and looking just after Ron had taken off the invisibility cloak.

Dazed, he headed back to the common room and slowly trudged up the stairs to his dorm.   Not bothering to change into his pajamas, he fell onto the bed backwards as he let the events of the night sink into his brain.   He closed his eyes and drew the curtains around his bed, making no move to show that he had heard Harry as he entered, humming some unknown tune softly and pretended to be asleep.

The next day, he had gone up to Hermione and said, "It's over," plain and simple, giving no explanation at all before walking away to try and clear his head.   Doing homework was out of the question; it was simply impossible when thoughts about betrayal kept drifting into his mind whenever he picked up a quill, for some reason.   After restlessly pacing back and forth in the common room for a half an hour, he decided that the best way to relax himself was to go fly a bit on the Quidditch field and practice for the game Gryffindor had next week against Ravenclaw.

************************

A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed it, and yes, I know I should be stoned for updating so late, but I hope this has made it worth your while.   PLEASE review!


	4. Soul searchings, plots, and answers

A/N: Okay, a few more reviews, that's good!   Keep it up!   I apologize for any inconsistency/confusion/whatever else that went on in the last chapter; I edited and then reposted it so that it'll hopefully be a bit clearer.   

To LogicalRaven: So glad you see my point… but yeah, a part of me wishes that Cho hadn't been so dumb and emotional and that she and Harry could just have had a normal relationship (as normal as things get for Harry anyway).   I can't believe she'd pick Michael though, even though I don't know that much about him.   Anyway, yes, Cho is still a bit bitter about Harry, wouldn't you be if the last person you went out with (and still may have feelings for) was seen with the one person they said they didn't like that way?   I'm also glad you liked the chapter! lol

To toxicclove1: Thanks!   Yep, bad, bad Hermione and Harry… J

To Wanchu: To tell you the truth, before I came up with this story, I'd never thought about Ron/Cho before either!   But no, it's not you, I need to fix that, and if you go back and skim through the last chapter later (is that the one you're talking about?) it'll hopefully make a little more sense…

To mikochan2: Wow, you're so sweet!   Thank you so much!   Cho/Ron stories are very rare, and that's probably partly why I wrote one! lol   Keep reviewing and reading!   I love exclamation points, can't you tell?! J

Thanks you guys, you really make me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.   I love to write, but I want other people to help me improve my writing and encourage me too, you know?   Oh, and I'm changing something really major; instead of playing Hufflepuff, Gryffindor will play Ravenclaw that next weekend.   And, to explain Michael's behavior, he's just a really jealous sort of guy, the way I'm writing him and he just does really rash things before thinking them over.   Please encourage your other ff.net pals to read/review!   I'm doing it again, aren't I?   Looking like a loser… anyway, like always, hope you enjoy!   I'm getting more and more excited with each review!   

Disclaimer: nothing's mine, we've been over this before… (*rolls eyes*)

Chapter 4 

            As the she ascended into the air, Cho felt as though all her troubles had been left behind on the ground with the rest of her conscious thought.   Right now, all that mattered was the wind blowing on her face and the light, free feeling that flying always gave her.   She twisted and dived and did all sorts of tricks, delighting at how her broom, regardless of its slightly out-of-date brand, seemed to obey her every touch and grip.

            She hadn't bothered to try to take out the snitch and practice, as Madam Hooch knew perfectly well that she had been suspended from the team and would never let her use it now, so she flew laps around the stands and weaved in and out of the goalposts, as well as continuing her dives and turns.

            "I'll go to practice tomorrow," she thought, "and show that I can fly properly now.   The least I could do to start bringing things back to normal is to play at the next game,"

            Higher and higher she soared, until she was almost level with the clouds.   She stopped at this height and closed her eyes, letting the serenity of the moment wash over her.   This was probably what she loved most about flying by herself in her spare time.   She didn't have to worry about schoolwork, making sure she said or did the right things, or anything at all.   All she felt was peace and glorious release from the mortal-bound prison she lived in when her feet were planted firmly on the ground.   

            "If only I could stay in this moment forever," she thought dreamily, eyes still closed.

            Below, Ron had stopped on the edge of the field when he saw her zoom past one of the goalposts, and watched in appreciation of the way she gracefully directed her broom and pulled out of each dive, missing the ground by inches.   And yet, the entire time, she also had a firm, determined look on her face as she flew, mixed with another emotion.   Peace.   Then, when she rose sharply and didn't stop until she was just a tiny prick in the sky, he decided to take this chance to go talk to her, still transfixed by her flying abilities.

            He had never given a second thought to her reception to him as he flew closer and closer, heart beating wildly with a desire to talk to her.   Exactly why it was doing so, he would save for thinking about later, but for now, as he was a mere thirteen inches behind her, he accepted it and went forward.

            "You fly well," he said, finding his voice and trying to ignore the way her hair was close enough to brush his face.

            She jolted, and turned around abruptly to face him, a mixture of relief and curiosity in her expression, as well as a little bit of anger at being interrupted during her one calm moment for a long time.

            "Thank you," she replied, looking a little embarrassed now as she comprehended what he had just said.

            "It's the truth," he said calmly.

            "So… what do you want exactly?" Cho asked, not realizing how rude the words sounded until they had escaped her mouth.

            Ron looked abashed and said slowly, "I… don't know.   I guess I just wanted to talk to you,"

            "Oh," she said, looking equally disconcerted.   "Would you like to sit down on the field instead of being up here?"

            This was apparently not the response he was expecting, for he began stuttering badly, "Uh, well, if it m-makes you feel better I-I don't- I mean- I'm-I'm fine with it,"

            "Okay," she said, starting to descend, and he followed suit.

            Once on the ground, she put her broom off to the side and sat down, motioning for Ron to do so as well.   He did, although somewhat apprehensively, and settled himself across from her.

            "Funny," she thought cynically, "seems I did this not so long ago, except with someone else,"

            "Look, about the other night," he blurted, it being the thing weighing heaviest on his mind.

            She looked puzzled and said, "What do you mean?"

            "That night, when Harry and Hermione… in the library…" was all he got out before his throat starting constricting painfully.

            "You mean… you were there?" she said.   "Were you the one following me afterwards?"

            He nodded, still unable to speak.

            She looked sympathetic and said, "So I take that as a sign that you aren't with her anymore?"

            He nodded again.

            "I'm sorry," she said, moving to sit beside him and pat him on the back like she would do for one of her friends whenever they had gone through a particularly nasty break-up.

            "She's probably been doing that for a while," he said bitterly, his face hardening.   "She's been disappearing at least once a week for the past few weeks, probably for a little rendezvous with my so-called best friend."

            "How are you so sure he wasn't in the common room with you?" she asked softly.

            "Well, er, he was, but he could've snuck out when everyone else was asleep," he said.

            "He didn't," she said, still gently.

            "How do you know that?" he asked, in a tone not unlike Professor McGonagall's.

            "Because," she started calmly, "she was meeting me."

            Ron looked flabbergasted.

            "What do you mean, she was meeting you?"

            "She came up to me one day in Hogsmeade and said that she wanted some help."

            "With what?"

            "In a way, you."

            "Me?"

            "You,"

            "Why?"

            "She liked you.   At least she seemed to like you.   The little liar… 'No, Harry and I were never together,' " she said, her eyes flashing angrily.

            "But, why you?   Why didn't she ask Ginny or somebody for help?" he asked, still looking a bit confused.

            "I honestly don't know, but she wasted a fair amount of my time, as I discovered in the library," she said sullenly, pulling large tufts of grass out of the ground at a time, to try to appease her desire to beat something to death.

            Ron grabbed her hands, to keep her from destroying the field, and looked her in the eye.   "But why did you help?" he said, his voice becoming soft in turn.

            Cho looked surprised at his sudden movement but was able to lie convincingly.   "I don't know…"

            "Are you sure about that?" he said, leaning in a bit closer.

            "Y-yes," she said, although it sounded weak and unsure even to her own ears.

            He held her eyes in a deadlock for another moment before dropping her hands and backing away into his original position, his face unreadable.

            "So," he said, deciding to try and make casual conversation, as he had the entire afternoon and evening to kill, "how is Michael?"

            Cho mumbled something, going pink in the face with anger again.

            "What?"

            "The jackass broke up with me,"

            "Oh.   Sorry," he said, not looking sorry at all.

            "He wrote me a note.   The coward didn't even have the courage to face me like a man and say that it was over.   I don't even know why he broke up with me.   He might've seen you running after me in the hallway the other night and formulated his own twisted little ideas… I don't know, and right now, I really don't care," she said, the words she had been longing to say to somebody, anybody, bursting forth in a tidal wave of dialogue.

            "I never thought that boy was worth two knuts anyway," he replied, looking grim.

            "It's all right though," she said, despite the fact that her hands were instinctively balling into fists.   "I don't think I ever really liked him that much anyway."

            "But you liked Harry, didn't you?" he asked, his face softening again.

            "Is it really that obvious?" she asked, smiling a little.   "Marietta always said that I was almost never very good with hiding my feelings about boys."

            "Just so you know, he liked you back, he honestly did," he said, "I guess he's just changed a lot since last year,"

            "He certainly has… though I doubt he would've been that forward with me last year as he was with Hermione," she said, the small smile fading away.

            Ron frowned as well, leaning back slightly on his arms and stretching his legs out to their full length as Cho lied on her back.   Presently he laughed lightly, making her look over at him inquisitively.

            "What's so funny?"

            "Oh, nothing,"

            "No, tell me," she said, his infectious smile beginning to affect her.

            "I was just thinking that it would be funny if we pretended to be together just to make Michael and Hermione jealous of us.   Stupid, huh?"

            Cho straightened up, excitement evident on her face at his words, as some of the color rushing back to her pale cheeks.   "Ron, you're a genius!"

            "Wait, you don't really think we should do that, do you?" he said incredulously.

            "Why not?   We could make them regret what they did.   Come on Ron, don't you want to see the look on Hermione's face when you walk in to eat breakfast holding hands with me, of all people?" she coaxed temptingly.

            A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he imagined this superb form of revenge before he said, "All right, I'll do it."

            She smirked and held out her hand; he took it and the deal was sealed.

            "Think we should be getting back now?" he said, after a few more minutes of fantasizing.

            "Maybe…" she replied before letting out a gasp.

            "What?   What is it?" he said, looking to see what was wrong.

            "Look," she said.

Ron looked to where she pointed and was greeted with a rather breathtaking sight.   The sun had slowly dropped down as they had plotted their scheme and was now, seemingly reluctantly, disappearing right on the horizon.   Rays of gold and red burst in every direction in every shade, showering everything with one last burst of light before fading away as their source sank beneath the line where the sky met the ground inch by inch and then… darkness.

"It's amazing how a sunset can be so simple and yet so elaborate, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back.   He smiled and said, "Almost like magic, right?"

She smiled back and said, "Yeah… almost like magic…"

She let her words trail off into silence and it remained dead quiet until there were quite a few stars scattered across the sky, some in constellations, some in spaces by themselves.

Cho, who was lying on her back again, observed this and said, "You know, the stars sort of remind me of the students here at Hogwarts,"

"Oh really?   How?" said Ron, lying down beside her to get a better view of the heavens. 

"Some are in close-knit groups with lots of friends, others with only a few, but with a group nonetheless," she began, sounding very philosophical, "and some don't belong anywhere, they just exist,"

He glanced over at her, and seeing the sadness in her eyes said, "I take it you're not one of the loners though, are you?   Always walking in the halls surrounded by a large group… I'm obviously one of people with only a few close friends,"

"I do have a lot of people around me all the time, but that doesn't mean that they're all my close friends.   In fact, I would give anything to have the kind of friendship that you have with Harry and Hermione,"

"Some friendship," he muttered.

"I meant before all this happened,"

"Yeah, I guess I was lucky then,"

"It's just that- I can't talk to any of my friends about really personal things, my feelings, my thoughts, I can't really pour out my soul to them.   If I had close friends, then maybe I could, but I don't,"

"Why don't you?   And why are you talking to me if you can't talk to anyone else?   Why me?"

"The answer to your first question is easier than the answers to your last questions.   I guess it's because I'm afraid.   Ever since I lost Cedric, it was like I was afraid of losing everybody close to me, my parents, my relatives… but even before Cedric died, I had the feeling that I only had friends because I had good looks."

"What about the answers to the last two questions?" he said, turning his head so that he was facing her.

"I'm not so sure about those.   I think… you're just a person that's good to talk to, you don't giggle constantly and gossip when I'm trying to be serious, which is good, because if you did, I would think your bread wasn't buttered on the right side, so to speak, and you don't constantly try to ask me out or flirt with me.   And you're just so… what's the word?"   She tensed her face as she concentrated, wracking her brain for the right term.   "Friendly, I guess would be the proper word to describe you with, you're just really understanding and a good listener,"

"Thanks,"

"It's the truth," she said, facing him.   

"I believe that was my line," he said, smirking.

"Yes, well, I was sure you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it.   Do you?"

"No, not really,"

"Good," she said, looking away to glance at her watch.   "We should really go back now, it's getting late," she added, standing up and brushing the little bits of grass out of his hair.   He laughed and did the same for her.

"So I'll meet you in the Great Hall tomorrow, okay?" he said when they had reached the large oak doors, laughing and clowning the entire way there like old friends.

"All right, I'll be there 8:00 sharp, ready to walk in with you," she replied, still smiling widely.

"8:00 it is.   Good night, milady," he said, bowing and taking her hand to drop a light kiss on it.

"Until tomorrow, my lord," she joked back when he had dropped her hand and curtsied. 

They both laughed at their medieval terms before bidding each other good night and going their separate ways.

************************

            "He broke up with me," Hermione said, sitting down in the armchair across from Harry's.

            "You don't think he- saw us, do you?" he said in a low voice.

            "I don't know; he didn't stick around long enough to explain."

            "Or maybe he just didn't want to explain."

            Hermione sighed heavily and put her head in her hands.   "How did this happen?" she burst out angrily.   "Why did we do that?   Why?"

            "I don't know 'Mione, but the point is, we did," Harry replied, moving towards her to slide an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

            It had all been unexpected on Hermione's part.   She had gone to the library to do exactly what she had said she was going to do: her homework.   She had made excellent progress on her essay before Harry had shown up with a strangely determined look on his face.

            "Oh, hello Harry," she remembered saying when she had looked up to see who had blocked her only source of light so that she was unable to write anything else.

            "Hi," he said.   "Need any help?"

            "Um, I think I could've handled it myself, but I'm pretty much finishing up here, so if you'll help me put back these books,"- she gestured towards the towering stacks on the table she had been working at- "that'll be a big help."

            "All right," he replied, picking up a few books off the top of a nearby stack.

            They had worked silently for a few minutes before he broke the silence.   "You know, I remember the day we met,"

            She looked up, surprised.   "Well, I do too,"

            "Have you ever wondered what life would've been like if Ron and I hadn't been there to save you from that troll?"

            "No, not really,"

            "Have you ever wondered," he said, inches away from her face, "what could've happened if I had asked you to the Yule Ball instead of Krum?"

            "No," she said, starting to feel a little… scared?   No, excited… or was she excited?

            He leaned in ever closer, his breath starting to mingle with hers.

            "Have you ever wondered what would've happened if it was me who asked you out a few weeks back instead of Ron?"

            "N-no…"

            "Have you ever thought of the fact that Ron isn't the only one who has feelings for you?"

            She shook her head, now unable to speak.   She saw the sadness, the frustration, the longing in his eyes and, without giving it another thought, leaned in and closed the gap, doing exactly what he had wanted her to do, and the rest was history.

            "I don't know what we were thinking," Hermione said after a reasonably long reminiscence of that night, shaking her head.   "No, that's it, we weren't,"

            Harry put his hand on her chin and raised her face to his, and all those remorseful thoughts flew out the window.   Soon, they were so occupied that they didn't even notice a tall, redheaded figure move quickly across the room after a glance at them towards his dormitory, ignoring them as well as he could and focusing instead on the unexpected alliance he had formed that day.

***************************

A/N: Okay, I know that chapter was shorter than the other one, but I'm in sort of a hurry to get this one up.   I promise the next chapter will be a bit longer, with, hopefully, a little less waiting.   I also hope that this sort of explains Harry and Hermione's strange, extremely OOC behavior, although the explanation in itself made them OOC anyway.   Oh well.  As I always say, please review!


	5. Satisfaction and more plotting

Chapter 5 

            "How do you feel?   Are you ready?" Cho said, looking just as anxious and jittery as Ron did.

            "Fine, how about you?" he replied, his voice a pitch higher than usual.

            "I'm ready,"

            She drew in a shaky breath while he self-consciously wiped his sweaty palms repeatedly on his pants and shooting glances down the hallway.

            "Well, this is it," she said finally, straightening his collar and brushing whatever small specks of dust had settled into the shoulders of his robes.

            Neither one of them had slept much the previous night due to the feelings of excitement and anticipation that haunted them all throughout the late hours.   Time had seemed to slow down just for them, making each minute of waiting absolute agony, but eventually, although they couldn't exactly recall how it had happened, sleep claimed them.   Nevertheless, both woke up at precisely the moment the sun had inched across their faces, for they hadn't been sleeping heavily.

            They had met each other in the Great Hall as originally agreed upon and were now standing before the entrance to the dining area, a bit afraid to walk in, but determined to accomplish their mission.   So, after all their last-minute adjustments, they steadied their composures, readied their lover-like expressions, and walked in hand in hand.

            The effect certainly was what they had been hoping for on the most part.

            Hermione, who had been absorbed in her library book, didn't notice right away, but with a prod in the arm from a wide-eyed Harry, she reluctantly put it down and looked where he had been pointing.   Her jaw dropped in disbelief as she watched Ron and Cho walk down the narrow aisle between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, looking like they were completely infatuated with each other.

            Michael had noticed right as they walked in, and even though he was just as shocked as everybody else, the anger he felt showed more clearly than any other emotion.  He glared at the two of them as they swept past him and kept his piercing stare on Cho as she gave Ron a swift kiss on the cheek and sat down opposite of Marietta.

            The reactions of the rest of the school were similar.   Due to the pair's prolonged entrance, they were the last ones to arrive for breakfast, unknowingly making themselves more likely to be noticed than if they had walked in early, and, when the doors swung open, the entire student body turned as one to see who had walked in so late.   Many gaped, a few of the more dramatic gave huge gasps and put on extremely shocked faces, being the type of people who enjoy having an excuse to put on a show, and all turned abruptly to his or her neighbor to whisper and speculate what the two of them were up to.

            "I told you so Laura!   After what happened on the train…" Ron heard as he was buttering his toast.

            "Well, I thought he was dating Hermione, but I guess I was wrong.   You know what I heard about _her_?" Laura's friend replied.

            "What?!" she practically squealed back.

            "Well…" she leaned in and started whispering.   In a few minutes, both broke out into a fit of the giggles.

            "Well, that _is_ something new.   Cho Chang and Ron Weasley.   Together.   I'd never have thought that they were interested in each other in that way," a Hufflepuff whispered to his friend sitting across the table from him.

            "Maybe they're up to something, maybe they're not, but all I know for sure is that they actually look _good_ together, did you notice that?"

            "You know, I never thought I'd live to see the day that I'd admit this or even think of this, but you're right… although Ron and Hermione Granger were a good couple too…"

            "Yeah… I'd have to say that Cho was the better looking one of the two girls though, no matter if the other got a make-over…"

            "Yep, Weasley's one lucky bloke,"  

            However, although this was a new topic for gossip, it was soon forgotten as the conversations at each table branched off into different subjects, as they do in mysterious ways; one minute the newest couple is being discussed, the next, the latest boyfriend or girlfriend troubles someone has been having, then, what to wear on the next date, and the rest is history.

************************

            "You never told me that Ron had asked you out," Marietta said accusingly as she and Cho walked to their first class, Transfiguration.   "In fact, you never told me that Michael had broken up with you.   What's going on?"

            "Marietta," Cho said calmly, "right now, it's best if you just accept things as they are and don't question it."

            "What do you mean, don't question it?   Of course I'm going to question it, startling all of us like this,"

            "Hush Marietta,"

            "But-but-" she stuttered.

            "No ifs, ands, or buts," the other Ravenclaw warned.   "Just trust me on this one."

            "Oh- all right.   But just this once," Marietta said, smiling.

            Cho let out a sigh of relief when her friend wasn't looking and walked into the classroom with a slightly lighter load on her mind, for Marietta wasn't the first to question about her new boyfriend, if he _was_ actually her boyfriend, and everything else that could be thought of and she certainly wasn't going to be the last.   Michael had approached her first after breakfast, practically running in front of everyone else (or over, for that matter) to make sure that she didn't escape his confrontation.

            "So.   _So_." he said once he had captured her attention.   She stood in front of him, tapping her foot impatiently while looking at him as though he were nothing more than a fly.

            "So what?" she said, feigning innocent ignorance.

            "You know very well what!" he snapped.

            "Actually, I don't." Cho said, furthering his anger.   "If this is all you stopped me for, I don't have time for it; Professor McGonagall isn't going to excuse me for being late, especially not if I tell her that my ex-boyfriend wanted to have a word with me."

            "I stopped you," he began through gritted teeth, "because I wanted to talk to you about what you did this morning,"

            "Hmm, well, let's see.   I woke up, got out of bed, got dressed-"

            "You know very well what I mean!"

            "You know I'm not sure I do- now don't start that again.   Just spit it out."

            "You- you have the _nerve_ to waltz in there with _him_ right in front of _me_!" he hissed.

            "Well, technically, we didn't waltz, we walked like normal human beings do, and we didn't walk in front of you the entire time, or we wouldn't have gotten anywhere." She said coolly, reveling in his fury as he turned from pink to absolutely red.

            "Well, I- I- I didn't mean it literally!   And besides, you might as well have waltzed in with him, you would've made just as big an appearance," he replied disgustedly.

            "Really?   Well, thank you, I appreciate your support," she said pleasantly.

            "I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY!" he yelled.

            "Now, now Michael, you shouldn't yell inside.   Save that for the Quidditch match this Saturday," she responded, just as calm as when the conversation had started.   "If you'll excuse me," she said as his mouth opened again to say something, "I have to get to class.   And with that, I bid you good day, sir," and with that, she turned and began walking away at a brisk pace, leaving Michael mouthing like a fish out of water and the rest of the school laughing at him and applauding her.

************************

            "Ronald Weasley, I have no idea what to do with you!   Where, when, how, and why?" Hermione demanded.   She had cornered Ron as he was coming out of the prefects' bathroom and was now standing in front of him, preventing him from moving another step.

            "What are you talking about?!" he said.

            "Don't play dumb with me!   Cho!   That's what I'm talking about!"

            "Why do you care?" he said coldly.

            At this she seemed unsure of what to say.

            "Listen, Ron, I- I just want to make sure that- that-"

            "Well Hermione, you listen.   I'm not breaking any rules or anything, I broke up with you yesterday and I asked Cho out and she said yes.   No big deal.   _Drop it_."

            Then he slipped past her and disappeared around the next corner, leaving behind a very irritated girl.

            All that day, she pleaded, scolded, and demanded to know everything and each time she asked, no matter how she phrased the question or the tone she used, he stood his ground and gave her no satisfactory reply.   This frustrated her deeply, for the answers to her questions couldn't be found in a book , it was clear that Ron wasn't going to tell her anything, and she refused to ask Cho.   She wasn't used to knowing the answers to something for once and the knowledge of this drove her wild.

            "Think, Hermione, think.   Use your logic to solve this," she thought as she sat in an armchair in the Gryffindor common room, unable to do her homework.   "Why on earth would Ron suddenly be interested in Cho…?   He _did_ break up with me yesterday, and I suppose Cho dumped her boyfriend or vice versa… why can't I figure this out?!"

            Although she was the top student in her class, the first one to finish homework assignments, and the first one to figure out logic problems, she was unable to see that the only thing the problem needed was a bit of common sense and the ability to see what was in front of her very own nose.

************************

            Ron had gone into dinner early and had finished before everyone else so that he could have some alone time to think things through some more about the plot that he and Cho had put to action.   He was now pacing restlessly in the common room, wracking his brain for ways to carry out their plan further.   That morning had been everything he had expected and imagined, and a bit more as well, which is a very rare occurrence.   He was well aware of how lucky they had both been to have their wildest dreams fulfilled all in one morning and was busy dreaming up more little tableaus of similar victories yet to come.

            He was busy replaying each event of that morning one by one in his mind and found himself lingering over the memory of the kiss that Cho had bestowed upon his cheek.   With his eyes closed, he visualized this, remembering how soft it had been and unconsciously lifting a hand to that same cheek before shaking himself mentally and returning to his brainstorming.

            He rested his chin on his fist and stared into the fire, contemplating the choices that they had and his mind finally formulated an idea, and, with this accomplished, he sat down at a table to write out his note. 

            Cho was sitting in her dormitory, answering letters at her desk, when Pig tapped on her window.

            "Oh!   What a cute little owl you are!   I wonder whom you belong to," she cooed as she opened the window and let the small messenger in.   It was a rough, windy night and Pig's feathers stuck up in wild angles and all directions in a comical manner, as she noticed while she untied the small scroll tied to his foot before letting him flop down on her desk from exhaustion to rest for a little while.

Cho- 

_I heard about Michael!   In my opinion, the bloody prat deserved it… Hermione was fairly angry as well.   Yes, I'd definitely say that stage one of Operation Revenge was a success, wouldn't you?   Now, about tomorrow, I was thinking that you could mail me back your schedule so that I could start walking you to your classes, stir up a bit more tension? (*winks*)   Well, write back soon._

_Your partner in crime,_

Ron 

            Cho couldn't help but smile as she tore off the bottom of the scroll and wrote an equally short note with her schedule and a short reply to his remarks.   She lightly prodded Pig in the side when she was finished, who, in turn, opened one eye, gave a feeble hoot, saw the paper in her hands, became extremely excited, and carried off the letter faster than she would have thought possible.

            She shook her head, still smiling at Ron's crazy owl.   She yawned, and with a glance at the clock had realized that time had flown by in a startlingly rapid speed and, signing off on the last letter she had written, changed into her pajamas, put out the light, and, for the first time in months, fell asleep straight off and had a full night's rest with no interruptions or nightmares.

***********************

"Harry?   Can I ask you something?" Hermione said, from her position across the table from Harry in the library.

"You just did, 'Mione."

She glared at him, causing him to say, "Just kidding, what's on your mind?"

"It's about Cho and Ron…"

"Oh."

"It's just that- I wanted to know if you cared about the two of them being together."

"No, not really, why?" Harry said before dipping his quill into his ink again, looking as though he was a trifle bored of the subject already.   "It was a shock, but if he's moved on already, good for him.   I honestly don't care.   Do _you_ care?"

She blushed slightly and lied as well as she could, "N-no, not really.   I guess not… I don't know why I want to know if you're bothered by it any, it's not like I'm your girlfriend or anything," she added quietly.

"You're not?" he said, pretending to blink vacantly.   "Well then, I guess we'll have to change that."

"You-you're not serious are you?" she said, shocked at his sudden, although indirect offer.   

"Dead serious," he replied.   "So, is it yes or no?"

"Yes," she said breathily, after thinking, "Maybe I'll be able to get Ron back after all," and formulating a plan not unlike his…

***********************

A/N: Short chapter, I know, but I was so eager to show that I hadn't died or anything, and this is what came from it… thanks to everybody who reviewed, I love it when I hear from you!

To wandless: It's all right… at least you took the time to review.   I'm glad you like it so far!

To LogicalRaven: You're right; Harry _does_ sound more like Sirius than himself… maybe we can say that Sirius's spirit has possessed him and will continue to do so for the rest of the story.   And yes, they are evil!

To asiega: Don't worry, I'm definitely going to finish this.   I've just been insanely busy for the past few weeks.   But thanks for your really complimenting review; I enjoyed reading it.   And about the medieval thing and how it reminds you of things that you've done before?   Me too… J


	6. Sunshine and smiles

Chapter 6 

            Cho moaned and rolled over in her bed as she heard the usual morning bustle in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory start up, with occasional pillow fights and lots of chattering, accompanied by rustling sheets as each girl made her bed.   In happier times, she willingly joined in this mass of gossip and happy morning routines; in the darker periods, she snapped at the other girls to keep quiet and was incredibly sulky.   Now, she merely smiled and shook her head before reluctantly getting out of bed and joining in the fun.

            "So, it looks like someone had a good night's sleep last night," Laura said, noticing that the bed directly in the middle no longer had the deep blue curtains closed and that its occupant had added her voice to the harmony of the other girls'.

            "Yes," was all Cho said before turning to the dresser beside her bed to take out her uniform.

            "So," June, Laura's friend started, "what happened to Michael?"

            Laura and a few other girls shot June looks that clearly said, "You are absolutely tactless."

            "What?" said Cho, startled at the sudden question.

            "What June meant to say was, 'Why aren't you dating Michael anymore?' " Laura said, trying to cover up for her friend's mistake.

            "Oh." Cho said, before going back to rummaging through the top drawer of her dresser.   She pulled out a pair of socks and said, "He-" and stopped again as she sensed every single person in the room, not moving at all and drinking in every word that escaped her lips, hungry for facts to back up the rumors they had heard.   "They have no lives, do they?" Cho thought, extremely amused.          

            "Well," she started again, still aware of the intensity with which she was being watched and listened to, "he wrote me a short letter the other day,"

            She had changed into her uniform and was sitting on her bed, now occupied with putting on her socks.

            "And?" said Marietta eagerly.

            "And it said- oh wait.   Where are my shoes?" she said, intentionally delaying her response to torture her listeners.   She got down on her knees and looked under her bed, knowing very well that she had left her shoes elsewhere.

            Never before had she found her shoes so quickly.   The words were barely out of her mouth when all of the girls whisked around, searching frantically as if for their lives before one girl cried out triumphantly and handed the shoes to Cho, and all settled down once again, gathered in one large group around her bed now.   She was comically reminded of being ambushed, for some reason.

            "Go on," June said.

            "Now, where was I?   Oh yes, so he wrote me a note and it said- wait a minute, this isn't my shoe," she said, holding up the shoe that wasn't hers.

            Everyone groaned audibly before rushing around again to find the right shoe.   After this had been accomplished, they crowded even more closely around her (if that was even possible) and begged her with their eyes to continue.

            "Ah yes.   Thank you girls," was all she said before slipping on the other shoe and picking up her brush from the top of her dresser and starting to brush her hair.

            She pretended not to notice as they all continued to stare at her until someone in the back cleared her throat and she was forced to go on with her story.

            "Oh!" she said, feigning surprise.   "I'm sorry, were you all waiting for me?"

            "Just get on with it," Laura said impatiently, looking like a child eagerly anticipating Christmas day, but close to fainting from how far away it seemed.

            "Anyway," she started calmly, "so I was just sitting up here, catching up on some of my homework and his owl tapped on the window and gave me a letter from him.   Naturally, I opened it, read it, so on and so forth, and it turns out that he was breaking up with me."

            Several faces softened in sympathy, while others darkened in anger towards him.   Nobody spoke, and she gratefully took in the sympathy she was receiving by smiling and trying to keep her voice cheerful as if to say, "I'm all right,"

            "So how did Ron come about?" asked someone eagerly as the sad moment passed.

            "Well-" Cho started again, panicking as she strained to think of something logical and believable to say.   Thankfully, she was saved at that moment when Joan, the Quidditch captain had remembered that she had wanted to prove that she was ready to play for the team again, thus the knocking on the door.

            "Sorry to ruin your fun girls," she said, taking Cho by the wrist as soon as she was let into the room, "but I need to talk to my star player about this Saturday,"

            Everyone, excluding Cho, groaned again and they unwillingly let her go.

            As soon as the door closed behind them, however, the conversation went on, for what had been said there was more than enough to go on with as a topic for gossip.   

            "Well, that's half the story, but what's the rest?" said June, still looking dissatisfied.

            "Be thankful you heard anything," another girl said, "just a few hours ago you were so desperate, you would've given everything you own just to hear something about it straight from her mouth,"

            "That's true," Laura said, "but you can't help but feel like you'd feel better if you had all the facts,"

            Everyone murmured their agreement before returning to their morning preparations.

            "Meet me at the field at 5:00 after you've finished all your classes and had some time to work on your homework, all right?" Joan said.

            Cho nodded.   "All right, 5:00 it is,"

            "Good.   Be on time!" she said before saying, "C'mon, I'll walk you to breakfast,"

            "Um…" Cho started.   "I'm sort of supposed to meet someone outside the dining hall,"

            "Ah, say no more," she replied, walking away briskly.

            Cho gave a sigh of relief and followed her down the stairs, not stopping until she had gotten to the Great Hall and seen the red hair that stood out in the crowd of oncoming Gryffindors heading to breakfast.

            "Had a good night's rest?" she asked sweetly, weaving her fingers into his and standing on her tiptoes to drop a kiss on his nose as soon as he came up to her and she saw Michael out of the corner of her eye.

            Ron saw him as well, and replied loud enough for him to hear, "No, I stayed up all night thinking about you,"

            Cho's face couldn't be seen by him, but it made his blood boil all the same to see her lean her forehead against Ron's and murmur something in a sentimental tone.

            Making a noise of disgust, he walked past them as quickly as he could, trying and failing to ignore them and the gossip that accompanied them. 

            "Good one," Cho said as soon as he was out of earshot.

            "Thanks, you too," Ron said, smirking.

            "He looks so adorable when he does that…" she thought dreamily before realizing what she had just thought and slapping herself mentally.

            "Here they come," Hermione muttered to Harry as she spotted them.   

            He shrugged and said, "I thought you didn't care."

            "I don't," she said, although her eyes were still glued on the two of them.   Struck with a fit of jealousy, she was suddenly filled with a longing to make Ron feel the same unpleasant emotions that she was, and desperately said, "Harry,"

            He turned his head and she kissed him just as the two of them walked by, causing another stir amongst the students.   Ron's lips tightened and his ears turned red, causing Cho to whisper out of the corner of her mouth, "Ignore them,"

            This cleared his head for more rational thought and he turned his head the other way, as he had been ordered to and concentrated instead on her.   Today he gave her a kiss on the cheek instead of the other way around and he sat down more hesitantly than he had ever done before.   By now, Harry and Hermione had finished their rushed kiss and were now calmly eating their breakfast, pretending that nothing was going on.

            Their serene and fake obliviousness to the entire situation drove him out of his wits; thankfully, he managed to hide his emotions with very convincing and differing actions and words, keeping the plan in mind and making sure that he stayed by his resolution.

            After breakfast, he rose quickly to make sure that he caught Cho before she headed to her first class so that he could walk with her.   She smiled as she saw him rushing towards her and took his hand as soon as he was close enough, leading him back to the Ravenclaw dormitories.   

            "Where are we going?" he asked, confused.   "The Transfiguration classroom is in the other direction,"

            "I know," she said, laughing, "but I need to get my textbook for that class; Joan dragged me out of the room before I could get it.   Wait here," she added when they had gotten to the entrance to the common room.

            She muttered the password, making sure that Ron didn't hear it and dashed inside, and came back out two minutes later just as quickly as she had entered.

            "Wow, that was quick," Ron said, amazed that she could have retrieved it at that speed.

            "Yeah," she said, blushing slightly.   "I keep my things organized and neat so that I can find them whenever I need to.   You should see my desk at home though… it's so cluttered and piled up with all sorts of rubbish, my mum's started to threaten me about clearing it out," she said, laughing lightly.

            "Mm…" Ron said, smiling.   "I'm just messy through and through,"

            "We'd best be going now," she said, putting her book away in her bag and taking his hand again, leading him down the hallway back the way they had come.   He nodded and started walking faster to catch up with her, which was actually quite a challenge since she walked rather speedily.   Once he had seen her off in the front of the classroom and she gave him a hug and yet another smile, he walked towards his own class, his hands in his pockets.

************************

            Ron saw to it that day that he was on time to walk Cho to each one of her classes as soon as he had been dismissed from his own and somehow managed to be punctual for each one of his lessons as well as hers; he supposed it was due to the pace they always walked at, which was fast enough to make everyone else's heads spin.

            The gossip, if possible, increased as word spread that he was now walking her to her classes, a privilege Michael hadn't been allowed until the beginning of the school year that Ron was enjoying after dating her for only twenty-four hours.   Michael was seen off to the side, constantly sulking, but apparently content to keep his mouth shut, for when Cho was at her best, she was more likely to win in a battle of wits and tongue, especially against him, who always seemed to fall into her literal wording traps when he was angry… which he easily was.

            Ron's friendship with Hermione and Harry, however, was one thing that he felt that he had to do without, for a tangled web of lies and deceit that had been woven had disrupted it.   That, he had decided, wasn't the type of thing that true friends would do, so, as he sat in the common room across from the two of them, he avoided any conversation or eye contact with them, trying to fool himself into thinking that they weren't even present.   This having failed, he decided that a walk would do him some good as soon as he saw Hermione lean in towards Harry again and, feeling slightly nauseous, he headed towards the library, which was usually Hermione's refuge, but for now was his.

            He walked past row after row of dusty volumes, trying his best to restrain his mind from unearthing and unpleasant memories from the last time he had been in there.   He chose a lengthy book entitled _Uncommon Quidditch Strategies _and sat down at the nearest table, amusedly imagining scenarios for the game on Saturday in which he would find chances to use these strange, yet still legal tactics and in doing so, finally gave himself at least an hour of peace of mind.

            Meanwhile, Cho was making good progress in a different matter.

            "Very good Cho, I can see that you've really had time to clear your head and work everything out," Joan praised, obviously pleased with her progress.

            "Thanks," Cho said, a bit out of breath, due to lack of proper exercise for the last few weeks and being unused to such strenuous physical activity.   Joan had run her through the usual warm-ups before releasing the snitch to let her show off her abilities while she herself stood on the ground with a timer.

            Joan had seemingly come out of nowhere, transferring from the United States, supposedly stealing what everyone thought should have been Cho's: the position of captain.   That is… until they had seen her play for the first time.   It seems that she was heaven-sent and the Ravenclaws were now sure that they had a good chance, for once, of winning the Quidditch Cup.   Cho had agreed as well that Joan was an exceptional player and deserved the position more than she had, and besides that, she was more than just their Quidditch captain; she was a leader, she was the one to go to for help, and most importantly, she was the team's friend.   She was able to laugh and joke with the rest of them, but she was also serious and expected the team to work to their best ability.   Playtime was _after_ practice and violators of these rather loose regulations, considering what they'd had before, suffered the great consequences.   What _were_ the penalties?   And who were the first offenders?   _That_ only the imagination can explain…

            "This is wonderful!   You're definitely playing in the game Saturday," she said firmly after Cho had made a particularly splendid capture in record time for the fifth time in a row.   "We need you… I'm not sure that Lovegood girl would've made a very good seeker anyway.   She was always busy either staring off into space during practice when we were in the air, or she was reading the Quibbler while I was showing the strategies that we'd be using for the games, explaining what to practice, you know."

            "I'm just glad I'm going to be able to play in a game again." Cho said, now panting heavily, but steadily catching her breath again.   "I was afraid to come to the last one, and I knew we had lost by the looks on everyone's faces."

            Joan's face darkened slightly.   "It was Luna; she can be an okay person to hang around every now and then, but she really isn't suited to play Quidditch,"

            "What exactly happened?"

            Joan groaned and said, "Never mind about that, we need to train you up for the game.   We changed a few of the techniques we're going to use, including one for the seeker, so I'd like to run through that with you,"

            "All right," Cho agreed, still ecstatic with her success.

            That night Cho underwent vigorous training, probably the most challenging she had ever undergone before, but afterwards she felt that it had been worth it; it was lucky that the weather was no longer summery, with soft breezes and comfortable temperatures as opposed to high temperatures and humidity.   After a quick shower, Joan walked her up to the castle, chatting genially before finally getting to the subject that she had been most anxious to discuss.   

Before Cho could open the oak doors, Joan stopped her and said, "Cho, I want to ask you to do me a favor,"

"Sure, what?" she said, wondering what kind of favor she needed to do.

"Ron Weasley… is your… boyfriend now, right?"

"Yeah…" she said slowly.

"Well, you know, he _is_ on the Gryffindor team and we're playing against Gryffindor this weekend and… well… I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything to him about our plans or anything."

"What?!" she said, surprised.   "What makes you think I would tell him anything about our tactics?"

"Oh, you know, girls, particularly pretty, easily persuaded ones who have boyfriends, are subject to fall into traps like that,"

"Don't worry Joan, you can trust me, I promise."

"Do you swear?"

"I swear upon my honor as a Ravenclaw and a witch."

"Good.   Well, what are you waiting for?" she said.   "I'm starving!   I wonder what's for dinner…"

They both laughed, and walked in together, feeling light-hearted and happy.

************************

_Cho-_

_Thanks for giving me your schedule; it was brilliant to see the impact we had on everyone, especially Michael.   Hermione, I'm not so sure… she's "officially" dating Harry now, as you probably noticed this morning, and I can't help but think that she might be on to our plans.  Anyway, how did your meeting with Joan go over?   Are you playing in the game on Saturday?   And if you are, may I say that I do believe that Gryffindor shall prevail over Ravenclaw… just kidding.   Write back soon._

_-Ron_

            Cho smiled.   She supposed the letters from Ron were going to become a sort of daily ritual now, although she wasn't particularly surprised when she saw Pig tapping at her window again.   In fact, she had almost been longing to see the small owl again, if only to bring a mere scrap of parchment with a few words scribbled on it.   She opened the middle drawer in her desk and took out a fresh piece of paper and began to write.

Ron- 

_I wouldn't be surprised if Hermione doesn't know exactly what we're up to; she's the clever type who can read all sorts of small hints.  On that matter, make sure that no one gets their hands on these letters that we're sending back and forth to each other.   Even if she already knows, we can't take the chance of letting everyone else know about it.   On a lighter note, my meeting did go well and I'm pleased to say that I'm playing Saturday after all, and if you're not careful, we'll snatch a victory from under your noses! _

_-Cho_

            Having finished her letter, she tied it onto Pig's leg before releasing him back outside again to deliver her reply.   She had changed into her pajamas and now crossed the room to her bed; she needed a full night's rest for the next day.

************************

A/N: Yes, I know, another insanely short chapter, but I promise the next chapter will be longer!

To LogicalRaven: You know, it's funny, because I thought that since I wrote that chapter in such a rush that it would be the worst one yet, but you thought it was the best one! lol To tell you the truth, I really hate the Hermione/Harry pairing too, which is why it's not going to work out… are the celebration fireworks going off now?   But thanks for your sweet compliment about how this story is so well written.

To Wanchu: I know; I just absolutely loved torturing Michael!   I'm so evil… anyway, I'm sorry that you can't find any other Cho/Ron stories, but after I finish this one, I'm thinking about doing a sequel, and I might do a couple of songfics with them or something, but I'll definitely keep writing C/R just for your sake, okay? 

To toxiclove1: Yes, tension!   Anger!   REVENGE!   Don't ask, I'm on a weird kick…

To hippogriff82: Aw, thanks for such a sweet review!   I think the reason why we can't say what we want to say exactly when we want to say it is because we're so flustered, the words just can't seem to come, you know?   But it is frustrating and I feel your pain!

To Cho100: It's all right if you've reviewed before, I love hearing from everybody, so review as many times as you want!   But I'm so happy you love my story, I was starting to lose self-confidence when I had only gotten like, two reviews for the first chapter and then seeing all these stories with only one chapter and 30 reviews didn't help, so you just made my day by reviewing!   And yes, Cho and Ron will start liking each other for real and will be boyfriend/girlfriend eventually.

To lady-centaur101: Thanks, you're awesome!

To glitterfairyxoxo: I think she still hasn't made up her mind yet! lol   Thanks for your complimenting review!

Big hugs for everybody!   


	7. Quidditch

Chapter 7 

            Cho gulped hard, trying to rid her throat and stomach from the strange sensation that felt as though a giant hand was squeezing it, making it difficult to breathe.   Several days had passed that were by no means uneventful and it was now time for the event that the entire school had been anticipating more than any other like it before: the Quidditch game.   All who were able would be attending to see if Cho played any better now than she did when her boyfriend was on the same team.   Even the few who were in the hospital wing and conscious begged for binoculars so that they could watch the game from the windows.   In fact, most of the school had wagers with each other, betting on one view or the other, the first being that she wouldn't be able to play well against her own boyfriend, the other being that she was the same team star as always and would shame all the Gryffindors regardless of being closely associated with someone on their team.

            She was aware of this, having overheard Marietta, making a bet herself with some girl from Hufflepuff.   

            "_I _think she'll come through for Ravenclaw," her friend said firmly, having no doubt whatsoever about Cho's talent on the Quidditch field.   Cho had been on the way to breakfast when she had just happened to hear Marietta mention her name before she turned a corner.   She peeked over the corner just briefly, catching sight of Marietta and the Hufflepuff badge on the uniform of the girl opposite of her.

            "Well then, seein' as the rest of the school is in the spirit of the thing, would you like to make a little wager on that?" the Hufflepuff said, her thick Irish accent obvious.   "Let's say, five galleons says that she'll not be able to play-"

            "-and five galleons on _my_ part say that she will." Marietta cut in.   "Winner takes all ten galleons.   Deal?"

            "Deal." Said the Hufflepuff, taking the outstretched hand that the Ravenclaw offered, shaking it.

She had found it difficult to eat anything that morning afterwards, although everything looked just as delicious as always.   Joan had tried in vain to force-feed her some toast, but she had adamantly refused to consume anything.

            "You need energy," the distraught captain argued.   "I can't afford to have you pass out on me in mid-air."

            "I won't faint, I promise," she replied gently, but firmly.   "I'm fine.   I'm just not hungry right now."

            "Are you sure?" Joan asked one more time, finally relenting after realizing that bickering with her had wasted ten minutes of precious time.

            "Yes," Cho said, still in the same tone that finalized everything.

            Ron had likewise been apprehensive.

            "Not to make you nervous or anything," Seamus Finnigan said, approaching Ron after he had changed out of his pajamas, "but I sort of had a little- well, a kind of… _deal_ with someone."

            Ron arched an eyebrow and nodded, saying suspiciously, "Go on,"

            "And well, I just wanted to tell you that you might want to play a little bit better than your best today."

            "I beg your pardon?" Ron said, a bit incredulous.

            "I've made a bet with someone and I need you to help Gryffindor win this game or else I'll lose all me money." He replied, looking a trifle ashamed now.

            "Since when did you become so interested in gambling?" Ron said, still doubtful.

            "Oh, almost everyone's got at least a small wager with someone else for this game, and almost all on the same thing."

            "And that would be…?"

            "You, mate."

            "WHAT?!" he said, almost ripping his tie, which he had been putting on while he had been talking to Seamus.

            "Well, to be specific, you and Cho.   Everyone's either betting that you won't come through for Gryffindor or some other bunch of-"

            "And you made a bet on which side?" Ron asked, looking a bit like a madman now, his eyes flashing and the seams on his tie slowly starting to give way.

            Looking a bit hesitant, he replied slowly, "Well, I always figured that you were loyal to Gryffindor, but I thought that having a girlfriend on the other team would distract you, so," – he took a deep breath as though preparing for the worst – " I bet that you wouldn't do well and Ravenclaw would win." He said quickly, running out the door as if for his life. 

            Ron stared after him in shock and, trying to gather his wits together, let go of his tie just in time and went down to breakfast, where people once again stared and whispered about him.   He met Cho out side the dining hall, as usual, looking extremely nervous; she looked rather out-of-sorts as well and he supposed that she had either discovered or been told the unpleasant news.   They parted in between their tables, both looking distant as he kissed her lightly on the forehead and they went their separate ways.

            After breakfast, the two teams walked out across the sloping lawn to the changing rooms, each team splitting up from the other to go their own room. 

            The Ravenclaw team dressed as talkatively usual, more confident now that one of their best players was back again.   Luna sat in the corner, looking as though she didn't care at all about not playing the game; in fact, she was actually looking happier than she had for a few weeks now, humming some tune unknown to all but her placidly with her usual copy of _The Quibbler_ in her hands, wand behind her ear.

            Joan cleared her throat when they had all finished changing and motioned for them to quiet down for her usual pep talk.   

            The talk died away quickly and everyone turned his or her attention to her; everyone that is, but Luna, who was now staring dreamily at the wall.

            "Now, remember, we need to win as many games as we can to win the Quidditch Cup," she began, everyone looking solemn as they remembered that she was a seventh year.   "I want you all to do your best out there today and walk away from this game, win or lose, knowing that you played your finest game yet, because you took the time to improve and challenge yourselves in this sport, not only just for the glory of winning, but for each other and to know that you _can_ do what you put your mind to.   As long as you play to your full potential, you can never make me disappointed and I'll be proud of you even if we lose by just a few points.   Keep in mind to play clean like I always tell you to and all that we've gone over in practice.   I also want you all to have good sportsmanship and congratulate the other team if they win and tell them that they played well if they lose."

            Someone in the back yelled, "Hear, hear!" and everyone else added several words to support him.

            "We'll win this one Joan,"

            "We won't let you down."

            "Gryffindor doesn't stand a chance."

            "As long as we have you, we'll be sure to win!"

            "All right, let's head out," she said, inhaling deeply as though she was satisfied with the results of her pep talk and walking out of the door, the team following suit, into the clear, crisp autumn day to the cheers of the excited crowd.

************************

            "We've kept the Quidditch Cup for ourselves for the past few years and I intend to keep it; how about you?" Harry said, facing his team, looking at each familiar face, remembering when he had been one of the younger team members, watching Oliver Wood give them pep talks.   He was captain now, and he filled the large shoes as best as he could.

            The others nodded fervently, two of the younger female teammates nudging each other mischievously and trying hard not to giggle out loud, one them being quite taken with him.

            "Some of the best players that Hogwarts has ever seen graduated last year, and everyone believes that now they're gone, the Gryffindor team will fall apart.   I want to prove them wrong."

            Several cheers erupted after he had said this and he continued.

            "We have a reputation to maintain," he said, beginning to pace back and forth at the front of the room, "as the best of the best here.   The elite.   The winners.   We are going to win this game.   Why?   Because we practiced every night that we had free,   because we worked hard, and because we earned it.   Are you with me?"

            They all agreed again, everyone becoming slightly bored, having heard this lecture before every game.   The two girls in the back still watched him intently.

            He felt that he was losing their attention and ended abruptly by sighing and saying, "Just do your best and we'll be fine."

            Motioning for them to follow him, they walked out of the changing room in single file, Ron suddenly having the old butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.   He had played against Cho before, but under very different circumstances.   Would he still be able to play to his best ability?   He looked at her from across the field.   She waved, smiling, and he waved back, excruciatingly aware of the fact of how pretty she looked with that determined gleam in her eyes as she mounted her broom and the content, seemingly complete expression that he had seen her with that night not so long ago when they had first made their plans together…

            He shook himself mentally when Harry nudged him, signaling with a look that he needed to fly up into the air and join the rest of the team.   He flushed slightly, snuck one last look at Cho, and then tried to focus his attention on the game itself.

************************

            The two teams flew up into the air, except for the captains, who carried their brooms to the middle of the field, staying close enough to the ground that their brooms could just barely skim Madam Hooch's head.   She nodded to Harry and Joan and said, "You know how the game is played.   I expect you to follow all the rules."

            They shook hands, Harry looking at her almost smugly, Joan looking only calm and collected, before mounting their own brooms and joining their teammates in the air, eagerly waiting for Madam Hooch to start off the game.

            The Bludgers and Snitch were released, the Quaffle thrown up into the air, and the game began.

            "It looks like Ravenclaw has the Quaffle, and Gryffindor is in close pursuit.   McFerguson throws the ball and- oh!   A superb block from the Gryffindor keeper Ron Weasley and a crushing blow to the Ravenclaws as Gryffindor takes possession of the Quaffle," yelled Hannah Abbott, Lee Jordan's replacement.   Ron grinned triumphantly, and Cho, who saw him smile, got the sensation that her heart was beating just a little bit faster than it usually did at games.   He, unaware of her looking at him, felt more confident now as he cautiously flew back and forth in front of the goals.

            The Gryffindors cheered and stomped madly up and down in the stands, while the Ravenclaws yelled words of encouragement, but were disappointed nonetheless.

            "_Ginny_ Weasley has the ball and barely dodges the Bludger sent by Ravenclaw Beater Bradley.   She streaks towards the goalposts, dodges an attempt to snatch the Quaffle made by Corner, and she shoots- SHE SCORES!   Ginny Weasley has scored the first ten points of the game for Gryffindor!"

            She flew over to her brother who gave her a slap on the back and an approving smile before flying back to his post in the middle of the right and middle hoop.   Ron smiled widely, feeling that his little sister was going to live up to the Weasley reputation very well after all.   Cho, on the other hand, felt slightly nauseous again as she realized that Gryffindor seemed to be the favorite of the crowd for that particular game.   Shaking this out of her mind, she kept Harry within her range of sight while feverishly raking the field with her eyes for any sign of the Snitch.

            "Ravenclaw has the Quaffle again, carried by McFerguson, passed to Ravenclaw Captain Lawrence-" was all Cho heard before she looked just in time to see Bludger heading her way and ducking.   When she looked up again, she had lost sight of Harry.   Panicking, she turned in all directions, searching for a dark-headed figure in red robes.   She spotted him on the other side of the field, still circling like a hawk, still searching for the Snitch like she was.   She breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention back to the game, cheering with the rest of the Ravenclaws as Joan scored for the second time since the last instant she had been listening to the commentaries.

            "-and another nice score from Captain Lawrence," Hannah yelled into her microphone.   

            Ron had lost a bit of his confidence after the first time that Joan had scored, and was struggling to regain it, concentrating on the memory of his first blocked shot of the game.

            "What's this?   Gryffindor has the ball now, after diverting Corner's attention by… a most unusual move-"

            The Ravenclaws were all booing and yelling, "Foul!   Foul!"

            Madam Hooch, motioned for them to quiet down, yelling, "No foul!   It's perfectly legal!" to even more boos and jeers from the crowd.

            Harry gave Ron the thumbs-up across the field, silently thanking him for the information about that particular feat.   Ron forced a smile, still feeling bitter towards him, and returned his attention to Ginny, who was flying at breakneck speed towards the other goalposts once again.

            "Here comes the younger Weasley yet again, she is on _fire_ today.   She takes the shot and- yes!   She makes it!   Another ten points for Gryffindor!"

            Cho groaned inaudibly, the sound lost in the riotous din of the crowd.   She spotted Harry flying closer, and she decided to test him, or rather, break his confidence a little, more out of a desire for revenge than anything.   She flew in front of him, her broom at a seemingly high speed.   Once she was sure that he was watching her, she dived, and he followed close behind, sure that she spotted something, never suspecting that she hadn't; she had never used that strategy before and would therefore easily catch him off guard.   Behind them, everyone including Hannah was going wild with excitement.

            "And there goes Ravenclaw Seeker Chang!   Has she seen the Snitch?!   Gryffindor Seeker and Captain Potter follows, tailing behind her.   She's still diving, and- I DON'T BELIEVE IT!   Ladies and gentlemen, Seeker Chang has just pulled off a spectacular WRONSKI FEINT!"

            Hannah was on her feet now, waving her arms, forgetting that she had a microphone in one of her hands, looking as though she had gone wild.       

            Harry pulled out from the dive just in time, looking disgruntled and as though his pride had been severely bruised.   Ron couldn't help but grin inwardly, although he was on the same team with him.   Cho rose triumphantly, dodging both Bludgers, sent her way by the Gryffindor Beaters.

            "I must say, this has been the most exciting game that I've ever attended in my entire time here at Hogwarts!" Hannah's voice boomed, the entire student population roaring their agreement in reply.

            Joan only had time to grin proudly at Cho before she motioned for someone to pass her the Quaffle and dodged a Bludger at the same time.   Cho felt exhilarated, having embarrassed Harry and proved herself still a fantastic Seeker.   She flew higher still, trying to escape Harry's deathly glare.   She then glanced at the scoreboard.   They were down by only ten points.   If she caught the Snitch now, they would win…

            Ron had glanced at the scores as well, making note of the fact that they were winning, but not by much.

            "Corner has the Quaffle now, and he's pass- no, he's not!   Lawrence had motioned for him to pass the ball, but he is flying head on towards the Gryffindor goalposts.   Will he make this shot?   He throws the ball and- nope, sorry Michael, not today!   Weasley makes another extraordinary block!"

            She sensed movement to her right and saw Michael, who had seen her smile at Ron before the game had begun and had been fired with a desire to make him feel pain, especially after his effort at scoring a goal had been smothered by him, fly over to one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, motioning towards… Ron… the Beater nodded, as if in consent and started searching the field for something.   She realized in horror that he was searching for a Bludger; he was going to hit Ron!   She glanced over at him, his red hair clashing badly with his robes, not looking in their direction and unaware of what had been plotted against him.   The beater moved to the back of the goalposts, unseen by anyone but her, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

            That was when she saw it; a shimmer of gold beside one of the Ravenclaw goalposts.   Her heartbeat increased to the point where it was almost painful as she artfully kept her eye on it, making sure that she didn't lose it.   What should she do?   Harry still hadn't spotted the Snitch yet; this was her perfect chance to win the game for Ravenclaw.   She felt her heart drop through her stomach as she saw the Beater raise his club as a Bludger headed his way, zooming in the ideal direction for him to make an effective hit.   In the split second that she had to spare, she debated which path to follow along, which of the two to deal with, for she could only choose one.   With one last glance at Harry, she began to fly faster than she ever had before.

            Harry spotted the Snitch as she flew swiftly… in the opposite direction.   Confused, he watched her for seconds before diving for the small ball, which had miraculously stayed within the same range while his attention had been diverted momentarily.    She continued to fly directly towards Ron, startling him and making everyone think that she had gone mad.   Joan was yelling something at her, but she never heard a single word.   She concentrated only on Ron and what she had to do.   Positioning herself behind him, she shielded him just as the club had struck the Bludger, not having time to give any explanations to him, bewildered as he was.

            The ball, true to its course, collided into her side with a force that was so powerful, it knocked her off of her broom and rendered her unconscious almost immediately.   

            The crowd watched in horror as she began to fall, headfirst, almost as if it were in slow motion.

************************

A/N: Ooh, I am so EVIL for leaving you hanging there!   Mwahahahahaha!!!!!   Sorry for leaving you all waiting so long for me to update!   And I kept my promise; it's longer… by about 40 words or so…   Anyway, here are my replies to your reviews:

To glitterfairyxoxo: Yeah, that is kind of strange… I'm thrilled that you love my story!

To LogicalRaven: You do have a point there… well, Harry's just plain evil in this story then, ok?   But yeah, it does feel kind of weird to be against Harry for once, doesn't it?   I'm grateful for your patience!  

To toxiclove1: lol!    I try to add twists here and there… 

To LauriAnn: Thanks!   That is _exactly_ what I was trying for: originality and making it seem real.   

To Wanchu: Oh, thank you SO much!   I was really trying to make it seem real and everything and you've made me a very happy authoress! Lol.   And of course I'd write a C/R story for you, if you really want me to!   It's no problem…

To hippogriff82: Yeah, I can't stand the coupling either; that's why I've said before to someone else that it's not going to work out.   It's just not written very well because I don't like it myself, in this particular story.   I HAVE A FAN!   Woo-hoo!   Break out the fireworks!

To Cho100: You're welcome, and you can say that you love this story as many times as you want to. (*smiles and winks*)   I think it's cool that your friends call you Cho Chang!   And it would be really funny if you got a boyfriend named Ron Weasley! Lol

To shortywithbrains: Thank you for sympathizing with me… anyway, I'm just glad you like it!

Just to get something straight with everybody who hates the H/H pairing, I know.   ME TOO.   I just have to get that off my chest… you all are great, I just can't say that or thank you enough!   You've all got me trippin' out!   Keep reviewing and stay cool!   I wonder… would it be ok if I said that I'll update when I've reached 35 reviews?   I'll try it and see… but if I don't have enough reviews, I'll still update anyway, because I'm just nice like that… so, let's just try for 35 reviews, okay?   Can't wait to hear from you guys!

-Unicorn13


	8. The Aftermath

_Previously…_

            The ball, true to its course, collided into her side with a force that was so powerful, it knocked her off of her broom and rendered her unconscious almost immediately.   

            The crowd watched in horror as she began to fall, headfirst, almost as if it were in slow motion.

Chapter 8 

            Madam Hooch was the first to recover from the initial shock.   Pulling out her wand and reacting with admirable speed, she slowed Cho's fall and put her on a levitating stretcher as soon as she was two feet away from the ground.   She then blew her whistle before grabbing Hannah's microphone, saying simply, "Game over,"

            A clump of Ravenclaw girls in the stands were all crying by now, holding onto each other for support and vowing on the spot to visit their friend as soon as she was permitted to receive visitors.   Ron was still in the air, staring dumbstruck at her broom, which was still hovering in the air beside him.   With trembling fingers, he reached out his hand and grabbed it before descending to the ground on his own broom.   Finding it hard to breathe, someone touched him lightly on the arm, almost uncertainly.   He turned to find Hermione standing there, looking sympathetic.

            "Come on," she said softly.   "You can't stay here all day."

            Still in disbelief, he let himself be guided back towards the castle.

            "Don't worry," she said reassuringly, "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will let you see her soon."

            He nodded and looked straight forward, his eyes blank.   

            Michael, on the other hand, had turned pale as soon as he heard the sickening crunch of the impact and was now sitting on the field, his head in his hands, as though he had experienced more pain than Cho had.   Nobody made a move to persuade him to come inside the school.

            Harry had seen her fall, his fingers still outstretched as though the Snitch was still in front of him.   The small ball had escaped from him just as he turned his head to see why the crowd had suddenly become quiet, and so the scoreboard showed that Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had tied.   He took no notice of this as he walked faster to catch up with Hermione and Ron, following the crowd.

************************

            "… And Ravenclaw scores!"

            Cho looked about feverishly for the Snitch, encouraged by the latest goal.   She finally saw it shimmering just beyond her reach; she stretched her slender fingers towards it, getting closer and closer before…

            A mass of black came hurtling towards her, forming into the shape of a ball- a Bludger.   She looked despairingly at the small gold ball in front of her, helplessly clawing towards it as she felt the same tearing sensation as the ball smashed into her.   Every nerve in her body seemed to be aching, she cried out in pain as she felt sharp pangs here and there and then-

            She woke up.

            Sweating from her nightmare, she sat up in her bed, wondering where she was.

            The sun shone into the room, falling across her covers in slanted beams.   She glanced around at the walls, and at the screens pulled around her that were trademarks of the hospital wing at Hogwarts.   As she sat up, she winced, taking in a sharp breath and laid back down again, her head beginning to pound from the pain.   Outside the safety of the screens around her bed, however, was the babblings of a hysterical and familiar voice.

            "…I told her, didn't I?   I said that she shouldn't play Quidditch, that it was a dangerous sport, that she would get hurt, and now she has!   I can't believe this!    I knew we should've home-schooled her!   We should've- we should've protected her!   I-" and she broke down in tears, unable to go further.

            Cho listened to her mother sob uncontrollably, shaking her head as she remembered how her mother went to pieces whenever she got so much as a scratch.   She recalled a time when she was five and she had hidden for fun before falling asleep when no one had come to find her.   Her mother had nearly had a heart attack and was undecided on whether to slap her for scaring everyone or to hold her close when they had finally found her huddled in a little ball under the bed, deciding instead to cry and do the latter before scolding her.

            "Mum?" she called, her voice slightly weak from disuse.

            The sobbing stopped before her mother wrenched an unfortunate divider from beside her bed and rushed to her side, shaking and with a tear-stained face.   She looked at her daughter for a moment before breaking down again, saying over and over again, "Thank god, thank god…"

            Cho awkwardly patted her mother on the back, allowing her to release all of the pent-up feelings she had.

            "I'm all right now, honestly," she said, trying and failing to look healthier.   "What day is it?" she added curiously.

            At this her mother burst into a fresh wave of tears and her father, who had come rushing to her bedside behind her mother, was left to answer her question.

            "It's been three days since your accident," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady.   "You gave us a fright when you slipped into that coma,"

            Her eyes grew wider as she let this new information sink in.   She had been in the hospital wing for three days?   In a _coma_?   No, it couldn't be.   This was something that happened to girls in novels, not to someone like her.   She glanced down at her watch, which told the time and day, and found that it was true; the date was three days later than the last time she had checked it.

            "You've had many admirers and friends leave you gifts," her father said, changing topics and pointing to the large pile at the foot of her bed.

            She smiled as she recognized Marietta's handwriting on an elaborately designed card on the top of the heap and was surprised when she noticed a box of chocolate frogs with a small note scribbled from Michael beside it.   

            "Well, I'm all right now, or I will be." She said, smiling at her father and hugging her hiccoughing mother as best she could without hurting herself.

            Her mother returned the hug, holding her gently as though she were afraid that she would break.   With the two most important people in her life right there by her side, she couldn't help but feel guilty as she felt a sudden longing to see Ron, and only him.

************************

            "Ron, you look horrible," Ginny said frankly to her brother as she patted his back and tried to make him eat some breakfast.   She was kneeling in front of him on the floor of the Gryffindor common room as he sat in an armchair and stared at a stain on the carpet.   It had been this way ever since they had come inside the school after the game had been ended.   Ron had refused to consume anything more than an occasional glass of pumpkin juice and was worrying his little sister out of her wits.

            "Please, Ron," she pleaded, "Just take a little bite of toast, anything."

            "No thank you," he replied in a hollow voice, still concentrating on the blot on the floor.   His hair looked as though it hadn't been brushed in several days, which it hadn't, and stuck up in wild angles, making him look completely disheveled and adding effect to the heavy rings underneath his eyes from lack of sleep.

            "Couldn't you at least talk about it, if you won't eat?" she said, ready to give up.   To her surprise, he looked up at her and his eyes focused on her face, something they hadn't done in a while.

            "It's all my fault," he said hoarsely.

            "What?   Cho getting hurt and falling off of her broom?"

            He nodded slowly.

            Ginny sighed and enveloped her brother in a comforting hug, rocking him gently.

            "It's not your fault Ron," she said softly.   

            "Yes it is," he said, his voice muffled as he buried his face in her shoulder.

            "You weren't the one who hit her with that Bludger.   It wasn't your idea,"

            "I should've taken the blow." He said, withdrawing from her and putting his head in his hands.

            "There was nothing you could do," she replied, rubbing his back like their mother always did whenever one of them was upset.   "If she saw you now, I'd be willing to wager my entire life's savings that she would be disappointed in you.   She took the hit for you, only to have you mope and become the mess that you are now."

            "You- you really think she'd feel that way?" he said slowly, looking up at her again.

            "I know so."

            He moaned and said quietly, "It'd be better if I could see her."

            "Well, I wanted to save this for later when you looked netter, but I guess now is a good a time as any to tell you the news." She said, straightening up.

            "What?   What?" he said frantically, grabbing her by the wrist.

            "I heard just a half hour ago that she's allowed visitors now.   The wing's pretty much packed to the fullest by now.   Besides," she added more sternly as her brother made an attempt to rise from his chair, "you might want to wait until you're more presentable.   And when you have more energy, _which_ you can obtain through eating."   And with that, she waved the plate of toast in front of him; he grabbed it reluctantly and began to eat.

            Satisfied, she finished off by saying uncertainly, "You know, in the meantime, if you're interested that is, since you've been so cut off from the rest of the school for a while now, and a lot can happen in a few days- well- since you're my brother and all- I'm going out with Ernie McMillan now,"

            He almost choked on his toast.

************************

            For the first time in days, Cho wanted nothing more than to disappear.   This had to be the most awkward confrontation she'd ever had.

            Michael Corner stood in front of her bed, looking a bit shy and extremely remorseful.

            After talking for a while with her parents, she was finally granted the privilege to see visitors, and she was certainly called upon by many.

            First, Marietta was let in and with much difficulty kept from flying at her friend and going into hysterics.   Evidently, she had been begging to see her and as a result was promised to be the first visitor.   She did, however, start crying softly as she talked to her friend.

            "I want to confess something to you Cho," she said, suddenly looking scared and ashamed at the same time, her eyes red.   "I-I made a bet with a Hufflepuff- oh, it was in your favor," she added as Cho opened her mouth to speak, "but I still couldn't take the money after the game.   Even though you did play well against your own boyfriend, I couldn't accept it… I just don't think it would be right."

            Cho pondered for a moment whether or not to tell her friend that she already knew, that she had overheard.   She decided not to and said, "Shh, it's all right Marietta," as the tears began to fall again.   "It's all right."

            "Are you sure?" she asked, still looking afraid.

            "Of course," she replied, hugging her friend reassuringly, who in turn cried all the harder, exclaiming, "I don't deserve to be forgiven!" and all sorts of nonsense.

            "You're being silly Marietta," Cho scolded gently.   "Just let it go.   No, look at me.   Let- it- go."

            Slowly, she nodded and swallowed hard, her sobs slowly fading away.

            "So," the bed-ridden Ravenclaw asked slyly, "do you have any new gossip for me?"

            At this, Marietta's face lit up instantly as she grinned impishly, giving her friend the answer through her facial expression.

            "Wait until you hear _this_…" she said as she had so many times before.   Two hours later, she had to be literally dragged out of the hospital wing, and she only allowed herself to be taken away with repeated promises that assured another visit.

            After she left, three Ravenclaw first-year girls walked in shyly, obviously feeling as though they were finally meeting their idol.

            Cho smiled warmly and said, "Hello,"

            One of the girls gave a small wave and then lowered her hand as quickly as she had raised it.

            "Well, it wouldn't be very comfortable standing up over there," she said, motioning to a few chairs surrounding her bed.   "Sit,"

            Wringing their hands slightly, each girl sat down, still looking as though they were torn as to whether they should stay or run to somewhere where they could admire their heroine from a safe distance.

            "How- how much does it hurt?" one of them asked in a small voice.

            "It still hurts, but I'm sure it's nothing that Madam Pomfrey can't fix," she replied, smiling.

            Encouraged, the girl sitting in the middle seat said, "We think it was very brave of you to take that Bludger for your boyfriend like that."

            Not quite expecting this, she said, "Yes- well, when you feel that way about someone, you just don't think about your reactions; you just follow your heart.   If that someone is the one for you, you can feel it, and no matter how long you've been with this person, if you really know, then it's all worth it in the end.   Never forget that," she said, before laughing and saying, "That's your moral lesson on love for today girls.   Can I help you with anything else?"

            "No that's enough," the last of the girls piped up, all three of them beaming at her.   And with that, they ran out of the room, allowing for the next visitor to come in.   

            "Joan!" Cho said, delighted.   "I'm so glad you could come visit me!"

            "Oh, it's nothing," she said modestly, arranging the small bouquet of flowers she brought in a vase on the bedside table.

            "No, really.   This means a lot to me."

            Joan sat down in the chair closest to the bed, crossing her legs and setting her purse down on the floor beside it.

            "You had us all worried sick, you know that, right?" she started seriously, seeming to settle in, ready for a long conversation.

            "Yeah," Cho said, looking guilty.   "You're not upset with me though, are you?   I guess- I sort of broke that promise I made you…"

            "Nah," Joan said, waving her hand to dismiss the matter.   "You promised that you wouldn't tell Ron any of our strategies, and you didn't.   I didn't tell you not to-" – she made quote marks with her fingers – "-'follow your heart," before ducking a pillow aimed for her head.

            "Sure you wouldn't rather be a Chaser instead?" the laughing Ravenclaw said while straightening up in her seat, her solemn manner gone.   "That was a pretty accurate throw."

            "I'm positive," she replied, laughing as well.

            "So, are you planning to write an advice book now in your spare time?   How about a really original title?   Something like _Love Advice_," Joan said, smirking.   "Just add a small subtitle that says _by Cho Chang, Hogwarts expert_.   I'm sure you'd sell millions,"

            She was cut off from saying anything else by another pillow that was thrown before she could react.   Cho's face flushed as she laughed uncontrollably while her friend sat in her chair again, her hair topsy-turvy with a few feathers sticking out of it here and there.

            "I'm sure a picture of you at this very moment would sell millions too," she managed to gasp out before breaking into a fresh outburst of giggles.

            Joan pretended to frown as she did her best to tidy herself up.

            "I'm serious though, you really did scare us," she said.

            Cho sighed.   "I don't know what to say Joan, except… I'm sorry…"

            "No, don't be sorry," she said quickly, giving her a hug.   "I'm just saying that we all care about you so much, and we don't know what we'd do without you.   _I_ don't know what I'd do without you, on the team or as a friend."

            "Thanks,"

            "Don't mention it,"

            "So," she started, pushing her covers down to her waist and sitting up straighter, "who won the game?"

            "We tied, 70-70,"

            "Harry didn't catch the Snitch?"

            Joan shook her head.   "He saw you fall and in that split second the ball got away… by the way, has Ron come to see you yet?"

            "No," she said, "the only people I've seen so far were Marietta, some first-years from Ravenclaw, and you."

            "Hmm… strange.   Maybe he hasn't heard about you being allowed to see visitors yet."

            "Maybe."

            "When do you think you'll be going back to classes?"

            "Madam Pomfrey said that she'd keep me in her for another few days, just in case, but I'll be back by the last week of November."

            "Cool… well, I'll see you later, okay?   I've got some homework to do; you know how it is.   Oh, and everyone in our dorm says hi, since they're either coming all together or not at all and, well, they can't all come at the same time." She shrugged.   "They're stubborn girls,"

            She gave Joan one last hug before letting her go.   Following Joan's visit, she was paid visits by twenty Gryffindors, a few Hufflepuffs, countless Ravenclaws, and even a Slytherin who mumbled something and left a card before running out as quickly as he had come in.

            And now Michael was the only other one in the room with her.   

            "Hi," he said quietly.

            "Hello," she replied, looking cool and composed.

            "I see you got the chocolate frogs,"

            "Yeah… I haven't really gotten a chance to eat them yet.   Thanks though,"

            "No problem."

            And then… silence.   But it was the worst silence Cho had ever experienced, and she broke it by saying, "Sit,"

            He blinked blankly as though he couldn't quite comprehend what she had just commanded and said, "W-what?"

            "Sit," she said again.   "You're making me feel bed-ridden." She gave a short forced laugh.

            Doing what she told him, he sat down in a chair.

            "So how are you?   Everything all right with you?" she said, attempting to make casual conversation.

            "I'm fine I guess…"

            "Good, good…"

            "Listen- Cho," he started, then stopped.

            "What?"

            "I just wanted to say- I'm- I'm sorry,"

            "About…?"

            "Everything, I just lost my head, I suppose.   Can you forgive me?"

            Cho took in a deep breath and looked at him, studying his face and trying to fathom what he might be hiding in his apology.   Finally, she sighed and said, "Yes.   Yes, of course."

            She held out her hand and he took it hesitantly; they let go quickly.

            "By the way," he said suddenly, pulling a few books out of his bag, "Joan told me to give this to you… she said she forgot to leave this with you herself.   It's the work you've missed for the past few days,"

            "Thanks," she said, taking the small stack of books and parchment.

            "Well, I guess I'll go now," he said after another long pause, getting up, his face adding as an afterthought, "I did what I thought I should and I'm getting the hell out of here now,"

            "'Bye," she said.

            "'Bye,"

            After he left, she relaxed and leaned back more into her pillows, exhaling a sigh of relief at the fact that he was gone.   But one thought particularly bothered her; why _hadn't_ Ron come to see her yet?   He might not have heard a few hours ago when it was first announced, but news like that usually spread like wildfire, reaching every dark corner.   Maybe he was stuck at the back of the long line, or maybe he was out getting her a gift, although he certainly didn't need to.   Maybe he didn't want to come.   Maybe he was embarrassed about having a girl rescue him.   Perhaps he was avoiding her.   Perhaps he blamed himself.

            She sighed and rubbed her temples; it had been a long day… or was it still morning?   She hadn't been brought lunch yet, so it was most likely still morning.   As soon as she thought this, Madam Pomfrey appeared, bringing her lunch.

            "Here you are," she said briskly.   "If I were you, I'd take my time eating," she added, "since you still have a long queue of callers."

            "Thanks," she called after the nurse as she left.

            Picking up her fork and deciding to take the advice given her and eat a bit more slowly, she wondered about the truth in what she had told those first-years.   Did she really feel that way, or was she simply going along with the plan?   The way her heart began to beat more quickly than usual whenever his name was mentioned was more than likely a hint.   She wondered whether he had heard that she was allowed to see visitors yet and thought of Madam Pomfrey's words, and how the line of people waiting to see her was still lengthy and started to chew a little bit faster, thinking of Ron.

************************

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everybody, Americans and everyone else alike!   Sorry I took so long to update; I'm marching in the Hollywood parade with my marching band and we're leaving for California tomorrow, so you guys might have the wait just a little bit longer.   This is a really rushed chapter, so please excuse any mistakes I may have made in spelling, etc.   Oh, and we were one review away from the goal of 35 reviews!   ONE!   Come on people, go review!   Anyway, first read my thanks:

To LogicalRaven: Yeah, maybe she should be in Gryffindor, huh? :-)   I'm sad that Harry's turned out to be such a pain in the butt though…   Your patience is again appreciated.

To shortywithbrains: I'll see what I can do about getting in more evil Hermione… lol…   But yeah, I thought that it would be nice little twist.   I'm glad you love my story for being unique!

To glitterfairyxoxo: Yes, I am an evil person!   Anyway, I just thought that Harry needed to deflate his ego a bit, and the Wronski Feint is the perfect revenge!

To toxiclove1: Mwahahahaha!!   EVIL!!!!!!!

To Sheen Rox: I keep forgetting to tell you this, but I love your name!   Sheen is like, my favorite Jimmy Neutron character! :-)   You're so nice, and I'm so… EVIL! lol 

To LauriAnn: I hope you like how everything's worked out! (*winks*)   And thanks for that sweet compliment about how I made you fall in love with C/R!

To Pout: I'm glad you managed to control yourself in time!   What you said in your review is, I think, one of the nicest compliments I've ever received about how I wrote Cho's character.   Thanks!  

To ChoChang100: Sorry if this chapter was a little bit disappointing!   But I promise the visit with Ron will be nice, okay?

I love all of you guys (and not in a weird way) and I hope you have the best Thanksgiving and if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I'm sorry that you don't have a day off from school!   Can't wait to hear from you!

-Unicorn13


	9. The most anticipated visit

Chapter 9 

            Ron Weasley walked as fast as his long legs would carry him to the hospital wing.   Heads turned in his direction as he swiftly rushed past each person crowding towards the dining hall, although none stopped to speak to him, each guessing correctly where he was heading, and some even moving to clear his path.   The visit might mean that he would miss lunch, but food was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.   Up one flight of stairs, and another, turn left… and before he knew it, he had reached his intended destination.   He stood silently in front of the door, now unsure of what to do, panting slightly from his quick-paced trip there.   What would he _say_?   He had been so anxious to come see her that he had completely forgotten the fact that he would have almost nothing to talk about that wouldn't seem awkward and uncomfortable.   Should he apologize for not having come to see her sooner?   

            Having cleaned up quickly the day before when he had heard the news of visits being allowed and keeping up his neat appearance, he had finally earned his sister's approval as presentable.   He immediately planned to see her during his lunch break, since he had classes all morning and afternoon, and after debating it over with himself, hastily bought her a small gift by owl-order.

            So here he was.   Outside the hospital wing.   Separated from Cho only by a two-inch thick structure of wood.   As easy to solve as turning the doorknob and going in… the conversation he would have to make once inside would be the difficult part.   After torturing himself endlessly, this is where it could all either be made better or worse.   Suddenly struck with an unexplainable sense of fear, he half-turned to run away when the door opened creakily and Madam Pomfrey emerged, having grabbed Marietta by the arm to force her to go to lunch after discovering her skipping classes.   She seemed not to notice him as she brushed past him, the Ravenclaw giving verbal and physical protests, struggling to wriggle out of the nurse's surprisingly strong grip and return to her friend's side.   He took advantage of this and slipped inside, the door being left ajar by their unexpected exit.

            She was in the middle bed beside one of the windows through which the most sunlight was streaming in long beams to illuminate the entire room.   The golden rays softly caressed her dark brown hair, revealing subtle highlights of brown and giving her an almost unearthly glow, as though she were an angel.   He envisioned the bruise that must have formed on her side and winced, although Madam Pomfrey surely would have healed her so well that even an unsightly mark such as that would not be left behind.   She was sitting straight up in her bed propped on two fat pillows, reading a book her friend had left behind for her to read, and smiling amusedly at something she had just read as well as at the uproar which had subsided with the removal of Marietta.   She didn't look up as he slowly and noiselessly walked to her bed, each step costing him an effort as he silently battled his options.   As he stopped at the foot of her bed, the happy smile disappeared and she seemed to hold her breath in anticipation.   Her eyes had stopped their path down the pages and they seemed, instead, to stare at the book now, not really seeing and comprehending the words on the paper as every sense in her body became alert.   She closed her eyes, and when she reopened them and looked over at him, they filled and began to shine with tears.   And for once in the longest time, as so many other things had happened in that fashion ever since he had come into her life as an important figure, she was crying tears of joy.

************************

"Ron," she whispered, as though a louder tone of voice would make the spell break and he would disappear.   A tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled once more, that beautiful expression that seemed to control whether or not the sun shone.

            "Yes," he whispered back, seeming to feel the same way.   He walked closer to her, setting down the small box, yet never breaking eye contact with her.

            "Are- are you sure you're not a dream?" she said quietly, more to herself than to him.   

            "I'm real," he said, taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.   "I'm here,"

            Her lips trembled and more tears swiftly coursed down her cheeks as she dropped the book and leaned over to hug him and cry uncontrollably into his shoulder.   He was, of course, slightly startled, but unlike the uncomfortable feeling he had always felt whenever Hermione had done something similar, this felt familiar.   It felt… _right_.   Stroking her hair gently and holding her in a soothing embrace, he knew that he needed no words to express anything.   Even if he was unsure about where they stood, relationship-wise, she was at least his friend, and he was there to comfort her and give her the support she needed. 

            All of the romantic gestures that they had done was all just part of the plan, part of the dangerous game that they had decided to play and risk the consequences of losing.   That was certain.   But they had both found something they hadn't been bargaining for along the way: a friendship.   Whether or not it would blossom into love only time would tell…

            "I'm sorry," she said presently, wiping her eyes and withdrawing from his arms.   "I'm just so glad to see you… I thought that you'd be upset with me."

            "Why?" he said, shocked.   "I can't express how grateful I am to you,"

            "I'm happy to hear that," she said.   The grin on her face became even wider.   "I wasn't sure when you didn't come to see me yesterday directly after I started seeing visitors.   I began to think the worst after a while,"

            He half-opened his mouth to speak, and thought better of what he was going to speak, saying instead, "I'm sorry about that… news didn't reach me until the hospital wing had been closed to all visitors,"

            "Oh, it's all right," she said brightly, "as long as I know that you weren't avoiding me on purpose."   As she paused, she took a glance down at his hand, which still had a firm hold on hers and both colored slightly as they drew their hands apart quickly.   Searching desperately for something to say, she finally said, "So, how is your sister these days?   I hear she's moved on to someone else… what's his name…?   Ernie something or other from Hufflepuff,"

            "Ernie Macmillan," he said automatically.

            "Right!   Him…"

            "Yeah," he replied, not quite expecting, or enjoying, for that matter, this topic to surface.   

            "I take it you don't care for him as much as your sister does?" she said, arching an inquisitive eyebrow at the look of disgust on his face, which had lingered after he had said Ernie's name.

            He snorted scornfully, saying, "Not quite."

            She smiled and replied, "I always found him to be a very pushy person…"

            He returned the smile, his expression now saying, "My sentiments exactly,"

            "So," he started, "exactly how many visitors have you had?"

            "When?" she said wearily.   "Yesterday morning, afternoon, or this morning?"

            "Just everyone," he said, looking surprised.

            "At least a third of the school."

            "You're joking,"

            "No, if only I were," she said.   She covered her mouth and yawned.   "So," she began slyly, "how is Hermione?"

            He shrugged and said, "All right, I suppose.   She's been very quiet for the past few days…"

            "And Harry…?"

            "Has barely spoken to anyone since we got back inside the school after the game."

            Both paused for a moment, not sure of what to say.

            "You know who came to see me yesterday?" she said finally, carefully marking her place and putting her book on the table beside her bed.

            "Who?"

            "Michael,"

            "What did the bloody prat want this time?"

            "You'll never believe me if I tell you,"

            "Try me,"

            "He apologized to me,"

            "What?!"

            "Mm, yes.   He said that he'd been horrid to me and that he was sorry about everything he'd done."

            "I doubt he really is sorry," Ron muttered darkly, looking down at the floor.

            "Well, he sounded sincere enough, so I forgave him." She said hesitantly.

            "That's even less believable than him apologizing to you," he replied before saying, "Look, I'm sorry, Cho, but- he hurt my sister, and I don't trust him, that's all."

            "I understand," she said, nodding and starting to feel the conversation take a darker turn.

            "She acts like she didn't care," he continued, not sensing her discomfort, "but he was her first real boyfriend, of course she cares.   I can't tell you how many nights I've walked downstairs to get a glass of water and hearing her crying herself to sleep.   That's why I don't like her seeing anyone.   She's not happy,"

            "Her heart's broken," Cho said, going on for him.   "He was the first one she ever completely trusted with it, and he broke that trust."   At the surprised look on his face, she said, smiling, "It's not as uncommon as you may think it is, a broken heart.   That's why she has been moving steadily along from boy to boy, trying to mend it hastily.   Give it time.   She'll be all right."

            "Now," she said, ready to move on to another topic, "how fares our plan for revenge nowadays?"

            "It's all right," he said with a shrug.   "Like I've said, neither Harry or Hermione have spoken much in the past few days.    I think they would come to see you if they could, but they just don't have the nerve right now."

            "Really?" she said in mock surprise.   "Surely the _brave_ Harry Potter, true Gyrffindor through and through would be courageous enough to come see me and risk his pride,"

            "No, I'm quite certain he's not going to come anytime soon, if he does at all, that is," he said, smiling.

            "That's a shame; now I'll never be able to send him on that nice guilt trip I've been planning for a while without risking his anger.   It would've been horrible for him, and yet so satisfying for me," she said lightly with a small sigh.

            He laughed and said, "You're right about that.   No doubt he'd hex you once you were no longer bed-ridden if you provoked him that way, gentleman though he may pretend to be,"

            "Ah, well, I suppose an anonymous Howler with a disguised version of my voice will have to do," she replied amiably, adjusting her sitting position slightly.

            "So, how long exactly are you going to be detained in here?"

            "Another few days or so, to be safe."    She rolled her eyes.   "The way Madam Pomfrey goes on about getting plenty of rest and all that sort of thing, you'd think there was a Bludger waiting to attack me once I set foot outside the hospital wing."

            "Sounds a bit like my mum," he said thoughtfully, leaning forward slightly and resting his head on his fist, looking at her, and yet finding it difficult to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds.

            "Being an only child, my own mother's like that, except probably three times worse." She said.

            "I've often wondered what it's like to be an only child," he replied.

            "It's very… lonely, actually," she said truthfully.   "Having your own personal space and not competing with anyone for attention is nice, I suppose, but I've always wondered what it would be like to have a large family with lots of siblings,"

            "It's tiring every now and then…" he said, trailing off.

            "I'm not sure about what size family I'd want when I'm married and I start thinking about children, though,"

            "Me neither,"

            They paused, taking yet another long uncomfortable pause in which no one said anything.

            "So," he said, speaking the first thought that came to head, "are you going home for Christmas holidays?"

            "I might, and I might not.   It all just depends, I guess.   Why?   Are you thinking of keeping the plan in full action over the vacation?" she said, narrowing her eyes in feigned suspicion.   "After all, Harry always stays here for the break, doesn't he?   And doesn't Hermione usually stay as well?"

            He nodded.   "Then, it would be the perfect opportunity!" she said, her eyes glittering with malicious glee.

            "All right, if that's what you want," he said.

            "You don't like the idea?"

            "I do, but I'm not sure how much longer we can keep up this masquerade without being caught."

            "If Hermione hasn't caught on to what we're doing yet, then I'm not sure she ever will… don't worry," she said, seeing the look on his face.   "Everything will be all right.   You'll see.   When have I ever let you down?"

            He glanced at the bulge in the side of her pajamas, obviously where the bandages were, and swallowed hard saying quietly, "You never have,"

            She saw the quick look he had taken at her side, reading his feelings, and, taking both his hands in hers in a bold move that surprised even herself as well as him, she said gently, "Ron, it wasn't your fault.   No, just listen to me," she said as he opened his mouth to speak, removing one hand from his to place a long slender finger on his lips to hush him.   "You would've done the same thing for me, wouldn't you?"

            He looked down at their entwined hands, nodding silently. 

            "You're my-" she stopped short.   What _was_ he exactly, to her?   It had been a while since she had thought about it; everything had been done "according to the plan," and not with much thought given to it.

            "- friend." she finished awkwardly.   "That's what friends do for each other, isn't it?   Michael's already apologized, although I'm not saying he doesn't deserve more torture, and Harry's the one I'm supposed to making feel guilty right now, remember?" she said, looking into his downcast face and smiling inquisitively.

            "Yeah," he said, grinning slightly.

            "Well, Ms. Chang, I hope you're quite satisfied, because I had to fight your friend tooth and nail to drag her back to the dining hall, and it was only under threat of detention every night for the rest of the school year that she stayed." Madam Pomfrey said, walking in backwards with Cho's lunch tray in hand, pushing the door open.   

            "Quick, hide!" Cho hissed, letting go of Ron's hands and forcing his head down, evidently wanting him to hide underneath the bed.   He forced his way underneath bed in the narrow space in between the floor and the metal frame, thanking his lucky stars that he wasn't overweight.

            "Here you are," the nurse said briskly, placing the serving dish on the bedside table.   "Eat up.   And after you've finished, let me know and I'll change your bandages again,"

            "Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully.   The elder witch nodded in reply and proceeded to walk out the door again to tend to her other patients.   She let out a breath of relief and said, "All right, you can come out now,"

            After a few minutes of what seemed to be a difficult struggle, he finally emerged, looking disheveled and dust-covered.   He coughed a bit, brushing himself off.

            "I wonder how long it's been since the last time they dusted down there," he mused out loud, wrinkling his nose slightly to prevent a sneeze from escaping.

            "Who knows?" she replied, motioning for him to bend down.   He did so, and she swiped her hand gently over his hair, making the small flecks fly out into the air.

            "Thanks," he said.

            "No problem."

            "Well… I guess I'd better go now," he said slowly, not quite wanting to leave, although he had to in order to be on time for his next class.

            "Oh.   All right," she said, glancing over at her lunch, still untouched.   "Wait!" she added.   "You're not eating anything?"

            "No, but it'll be fine.   I'll make up for it at dinner," he said, winking.

            She smiled and held out her arms, and he responded, both enjoying one last hug.   Reluctantly, he straightened up and said quietly, "See you later, Cho,"

            "Bye," she said, waving.   She watched until the door had closed all the way behind him and sighed sadly, picking up the tray of food from the table and beginning to eat.   As she cut into the slice of roast beef with her knife, holding it with her fork, she thought again of the question she had asked herself a few weeks before.

            "Do I really have feelings for him?"

            With Harry, it had always been extremely emotional, to say the least, mostly because of her own carelessness and insensitivity, she supposed, but with Ron, everything was just more… relaxed.   The entire world could have been taken over by the fiery depths of hell itself and she wouldn't have noticed while in the little dreamland she lived in when she was with him.   He was funny, and serious at times, but always able to make her smile and to bring out the best in her as a person and friend.  

She wondered what it would be like if the plan hadn't existed and they were an actual couple.   They balanced each other, one being yin, and the other yang.   His lightheartedness contradicted her solemn personality, and her level-minded thinking helped tone down his sometimes overly mischievous ways, and that was just as friends.   No doubt as an actual pair they would be even closer, if that ever came to being… which was just the point.   It didn't seem to be possible at all, and it seemed useless to try for something that would never happen.   Besides, wasn't part of the goal of the plan to win back Hermione for him?   Or _was_ it?   They hadn't discussed that at all, but she had assumed that, naturally, he was aiming for regaining his previous girlfriend.   Judging from his attitude towards her, however, it seemed otherwise.   He was bitter at the moment, that's all, she thought.   Once this was all over and Hermione was his again, and everything has been forgiven, the plan would have been carried out successfully and they would part ways, perhaps never to see each other again, once she graduated from Hogwarts.   And that would be the end of it all.   She felt her heart wrench slightly at the thought, but assured herself that nothing ever ended perfectly, although she didn't want it to come to a finish.   But, if he had gotten what he wanted, then she would be happy… she hoped, for his sake and hers.   After all, she had assured herself over and over again that she had no feelings whatsoever for him, and another blow would surely finish off whatever had been left of her heart.

She put down the utensils and set aside the tray before calling for the nurse.

"Finished?" she said, to which Cho nodded.   She picked it up and exited the room, returning with a bottle of a strange sort of paste Madame Pomfrey had been applying to her side and some fresh bandages.

"Turn on your side," she commanded.

As the cool cream was spread evenly on the exposed skin of her side, she closed her eyes.

"You _will_ be happy for him when that day comes, if it ever does," she firmly thought to herself.   And yet, deep inside of her, she knew that she was just lying to herself…

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A/N: It's a bit longer than a few of the previous chapters, so I hope you all appreciate it!   Okay, sorry for the long wait, and I apologize a million times over.   Also, due to my delay in updating, the Christmas season comes a bit late in this story (eek!!!!), so please excuse that as well.   I hope everyone has had a good holiday!   Happy New Year as well, in case I don't review before then!   Along those lines, the year 2003 has been absolutely amazing.   It really has.   I discovered www.fanfiction.net in June and joined then, and, although I didn't have a smooth start, all of you, my reviewers, have kept me going and happy.   Thank you so much.   May you be as generous in 2004!   Anyway, to move on to my replies:

To LogicalRaven: Ah, well, read _Dear Harry_ over again and feel better knowing that she'll get together with Harry in that story, 'kay?   Michael… hmm… I'm not sure I want everything with him to turn out… maybe something of Hagrid's can eat him… lol

To glitterfairyxoxo: Yes, I thought it was only fair that he wouldn't catch it either!   Thanks and Happy Holidays!

To Sheen Rox: Thanks; I feel so happy now!   :-)   Jimmy Neutron _is_ awesome, isn't he?

To shortywithbrains: Oh, wow, you live in California?   It _was_ a bit cooler than I thought it would be, you know, since it's California and all, but I really enjoyed my trip with the band anyway.   Thank you for your understanding and allowing this to be the only fic where Ron isn't with Hermione!   On that note, I have to say RON AND HERMIONE FOREVER!!!!!   It's just not right any other way…

To LauriAnn: Well, I do care, although not in an offended way.   Thanks for reviewing! (*winks and smiles*)   Go ahead.   Go overboard.   It's fun. :-)

To sammy17: Aw, you're making me feel all warm and fluffy inside now… no, seriously, you are.   I'm so happy it's insane!   I love the thing you did with your reviews; that was so original!   I'm sorry I couldn't get them together in time for your Christmas present, but I need them to slowly actually fall in love, you know?   And I'm fine with your addiction as long as you don't do something desperate… :-)

To Wanchu: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!   That's even more evil than me leaving everyone hanging! lol   Thanks for being so confident in me, and I hope you had a good vacation!

To fairy-lights1: Yes, sadly, somehow in the twisted way that my plot goes, Harry and Hermione, our very own beloved Harry and Hermione have become evil… (sobs)   Anyway, I'm so glad you love both my stories!   You've made me very happy!   I know I really like your story… ah, the evils of being so dependent on coffee… :-)

To ChoChang100: All right, good.   I would have felt bad if you didn't like it… so, does your boyfriend have black hair, glasses, green eyes, the works?   Even if he doesn't, I bet he's hot, isn't he?   C'mon, admit it… :-)

Everybody's been so great, and I just have to say thanks one more time.   Also, as a small poll, I'd like to ask this one question, to help me with this story I'm brainstorming on now.   **Which female character from the HP books do you think is the most insecure and most likely to be told what to do by her parents, etc. and doing exactly what she's told?**   If I could get some feedback on that, that would be great.   Oh, and keep a lookout for a story coming out soon entitled _The Golden Phoenix_ by me.   It's a Draco/Hermione story, my first, and it's in reply to a challenge.   More details coming later!   And once again, Happy Holidays!

-Unicorn13


	10. Returning and Sunsets

Chapter 10 

            Madame Pomfrey fussed and fidgeted over Cho, being as cautious as humanly possible in examining her injuries to see how well they had healed, removing bandages here and applying medicine there.

            "Let's see here, Ms. Chang," she said, almost as though to herself.   "Does this hurt?" she asked, gently pressing an area on her side where a bruise should've been.

            "No," she replied, hoping that she'd be declared perfectly healthy, or at least well enough to leave, and let go soon.

            She moved an inch above the spot she had already tested and again pressed firmly on the tender skin.   "Here?"

            "No," she said again, becoming more impatient by the minute.

            She moved another inch beyond that and applied pressure again to that untested area.   This time Cho drew in a quick, sharp breath as a small, electrifying shock of pain shot through her side and seemed to go straight through to the bone.

            The nurse clucked her tongue and immediately spread more paste onto the area, allowing it to sink in.

            "Well," she said finally, "you're not as well as I'd hoped you'd be, but I believe, if you're strong enough, that is, that you'll be able to attend your classes today.   If you hurry, you can most likely be able to walk into breakfast without missing very much of it." She added as her charge abruptly rose from the bed and, already having changed into her uniform, began to make her way towards the door.

            "Thank you!" she called behind her shoulder, catching sight of the nurse waving to her before turning to make her bed and change the sheets.   She closed the door behind herself and breathed a sigh of relief at having finally escaped from Madame Pomfrey; the nurse had meant well, but her nerve-wracking caution had been driving her mad.   Ron hadn't gotten a chance to visit her since his very first call, but he had sent Pig tapping on her window, regardless of the hour, with letters, sometimes long, and sometimes short, that amused and comforted her.   She had carefully saved each one in her schoolbag, which Marietta had brought to her shortly after she was allowed into the hospital wing again, and wrote her own replies on separate sheets of parchment.   A smile made its way onto her face as she thought of how enthusiastically each note had been replied and how she had somehow managed to keep it a secret from Madame Pomfrey.   She turned a corner and saw the large doors leading into the dining hall become even larger as she neared them step by step and her heart began pounding as she thought of seeing everyone and their reactions to her slightly early release.

            Pulling open the door on the right, she slipped in noiselessly as the entire student body ate and chatted noisily, not a single person seeming to notice her enter.   The door closed silently behind her and she felt the small breeze it created on the back of her neck, causing small bumps to rise.   She calmly gathered together her wits, and proceeded to walk towards the head of red close towards the end of the Gryffindor table, bent over the golden plate in concentration, ignoring everything else; still no movement from anyone to welcome her.   Evidently, due to the constant flow of stragglers who had decided to sleep in a bit, they had assumed that this new addition to the crowd was of no great importance.   When she had come to a stop behind him, she saw that Ron was absorbed in his own thoughts, and an idea came into her head that caused her to smirk slightly and walk a bit faster.   Leaning down close to his ear, she said quietly, "Miss me?"

            The effect those words had were astonishing; he gave a short yelp of surprise, almost falling out of his seat and nearly accidentally flinging a spoonful of food at Lavender, who jumped out of her seat and shielded her face with her arms.   Cho covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle the laughs rising up from her throat and finally gave in to the temptation and doubled over, clutching her sides as she giggled and laughed until it hurt.   By now, every head had turned in their direction and an uproar rose soon after as word spread throughout the hall.

            "She's back.   She's _back!_"

            Ron grinned and stood up, walking over to Cho, who was still slightly breathless.   However, as soon as he approached her, she sobered up slightly, although she was unable to prevent a wide smile from spreading across her face.

            "Think you're so sneaky, don't you?" he said, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.   She returned it, looking over his shoulder as she did and seeing that Hermione was in clear view of the two of them, her heart sinking slightly as she realized that he must have embraced her for that reason.    But wasn't that what they had planned on doing in the first place, making Hermione and Michael jealous?   She decided to play along, still experiencing a feeling of vague disappointment.

            "Well, I couldn't resist," she said, pulling away from him slightly and smirking.

            "I'm not sure Lavender's too happy about it though," he said good-humoredly, jerking his head towards Lavender, who was now blushing furiously and attempting to avoid the stares of her fellow students as she sat in her seat, forcing herself to eat.

            "Hmm… that part wasn't quite what I had been hoping for, but then again, I wasn't the one who was holding the spoon." She replied, taking a quick look at the red-faced Gryffindor and shrugging.

            "Oh, are you implying that it's my fault?" he said jokingly.   He still hadn't completely pulled away from her yet, his arms still encircling her halfway.   

            "Of course," she said, tilting her head to the side slightly and flashing him another broad smile.   "If the spoon fits…"

            He shook his head and leaned in to kiss her gently on the nose.   

            "Cho!" squealed Marietta, who had fought her way through the gathering crowd to reach her friend.   

            "Hi, Ma-" was as far as she got, however, before she was snatched away from Ron and clutched tightly into a bone-crushing hug.

            "Marietta-" she gasped, "can't- breathe."

            Without a single apology, she was finally released and then pushed towards the Ravenclaw table where an entire welcoming committee was awaiting her, her friend chattering nonstop while escorting her.   She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ron looking at her questioningly and she shrugged, mouthing, "I'll see you later."   He nodded, looking… disappointed?   Or was it a trick of the light?   She wanted to study his face more closely, but it had resumed its previous neutral expression as he walked back to his seat and continued to eat his breakfast, ignoring Harry's attempts at conversation completely, and her friends seemed as though they weren't anxious to let her out of their sight anytime soon.   Allowing herself to be seated in the very middle of the table, she turned away from the Gryffindor table to look at her dorm mates, who seemed to be anticipating her to say something.   What they wanted her to say, exactly, was what she pondered in her mind as they continued to stare at her as though she were an animal on display.

            June cleared her throat after a few long seconds of awkward silence and finally said aloud what they had all been wondering.   

"So, Cho," she started nonchalantly, the look of suppressed curiosity in her eyes giving away her eagerness, "we heard that Ron went and visited you in the hospital wing, finally."

A wave of realization swept over her as she opened her eyes wide as a sign that she had become conscious of what they were asking of her.

"And so the game continues…" she thought wearily as she opened her mouth and began to speak to her enthusiastic audience.

************************

            Ron walked down the hall in an extremely different frame of mind as he happily strolled to his least favorite class, Potions.   Cho had been released and all seemed right with the world again… at least, as right as it had ever been in the past month or so.   And yet… the very air he breathed in seemed to signify that something was wrong with each step that he took, and he looked apprehensively into the half-full classroom to see that nothing was awry inside that particular room.   Which was when he discovered that the source of the problem was from his own memory.   As he took his seat as far away from Hermione and Harry as possible, but within the Gryffindor group, he was plagued with the image of Cho looking let down and slightly hurt as her face was close to his.   What did it mean?   He had disregarded it at the moment, but now that he looked back on it, that particular facial expression most likely held some sort of meaning.

            "Now, if you'll pull out your homework I assigned you yesterday, pass them up to the front of the class and I'll take them up," began the voice of the potions master, striking fear and panic in other students besides Neville Longbottom, whose frog had soiled his papers.

            "Five points from Gryffindor, for Mr. Longbottom's lack of understanding of legible handwriting and a neat paper…" was what Ron heard as he passed his own paper up to the person in front of him before drifting back to his own thoughts.   He could always copy off of Hermione's… a stab of anger swept over him as he remembered that he _couldn't_ copy _her_ notes anymore.   Shaking the unpleasant thoughts from his head, he tuned out Snape's voice all the same to concentrate on the small battle that raged within his head.

            She might really like him that way.   She might not.   She might like him.   She might not.   Cho was excellent at concealing her feelings, and so it might have been an act, to go along with their plot.   Or maybe she'd let her guard down for that one brief moment and continued keeping herself in check.   His heart began beating a bit faster as he thought of the possibility that she might want something real instead of pretend and returned to its normal rate when the small voice of reasoning in his mind deflated his fantasy.   If she really felt that way about him, did he feel the same way?

            The Ravenclaw was stubborn, and at times, seemed as though she'd prefer to stand alone against the world with no help from the outside; she was perfectly capable and had no intention of letting any boy reach through to her heart.   The past few years had hardened her into a cold woman with nerves of steel and yet, he had somehow managed to find the old, carefree Cho, the girl who enjoyed being with friends and loved society as much as it adored her, not to mention that they kept each other at ease and comfortable.   Surely that meant _something_.

            But there was more to her than even he had seen thus far; it was as if she still had a secret side of herself that she had not yet cared to reveal to the world, a part of her that surely easily outshined any of her physical beauty.   If only he could discover this secret, he was sure that he would know so much more about her…

            The real question was, what would be his motivation for this small quest?   She was extremely secretive and it would be simply task for him to accomplish; he sensed a revolution brewing as he finally probed away in the depths of his mind and heart to reveal that the electrifying feel of how her hands fit perfectly in his was the first sign that he had begun to fall for her.

************************

Cho- 

_How about a walk tonight, after dinner?   We can continue planning for our evil plot then, if you like._

_-Ron_    

A wide smile spread across Cho's face again as she read the short note, obviously carefully written in no hurry whatsoever as she took note of the neatly spaced print.   She took out a quill and as carefully as he had written, she wrote back her reply.

Ron-  I'd love that.   I'll see you after dinner, then.  I can't meet with you outside the dining hall to walk in with you as usual because I've got to stay after Charms to talk to Professor Flitwick about when I can retake the test he gave while I was gone, so don't wait for me. 

_-Cho_

She tied the reply onto Pig's leg, smiling at the small owl, which hooted shyly in return before flying out the nearest window in the hall; continuing to walk to the Charms classroom, she couldn't help but wonder why her friends were so interested in her personal affairs as Marietta had hovered over her as she wrote her note and how no one had given her a moment's peace without knowing every detail over her discussion with Ron.   Of course, they never asked for her to tell the entire truth…

            Smirking, she slipped his note into her bag while no one was looking and feeling powerful with the knowledge that she seemed to have a secret that none of them knew, or at least in the fact that they didn't know all about her relationship with him.   It seemed like a guilty pleasure, she thought, to hide something as large as pretending to be his girlfriend from her friends who would gladly tell her everything about their own personal lives.   The point was, it seemed, that they would also gladly tell everyone they saw, making them swear not to tell, and ruining the secret faster than she could stop them from doing it.   She resolved silently to explain all to them later, her heart softening as she remembered sentimentally that most of them had grown up with her, being her friends even before Hogwarts.

            "Cho!   Are you going or not?" June said impatiently from behind her, cutting her flow of thought short.   She looked up, startled, and realized that she hadn't moved from the same spot in the past few minutes or so and, a touch of red appearing on her cheeks, she made her way up the rest of the staircase, following Marietta and allowing everyone behind her to move.   She could hardly wait for dinner to come and go…

************************

            "Ron?" Cho called out softly after she had come down the entire set of stairs.   "Are you there?"

            No reply.

            She frowned and walked forward a bit, crossing her arms and stopping after a few steps.   The grass crunched behind her and she saw a tall shadow, looking as though it was ready to attack her.   Instead of screaming, however, she smiled, her quick mind putting together the pieces of the puzzle with rapid speed, and said, "A valiant attempt, Ron, but I know you're there."

            Looking disappointed, he moved to stand in front of her with the look of a child who had just been denied a visit to the candy shop.

            "What gave me away?" he demanded.

            "Your own shadow, I'm afraid," she said, pointing to the extremely long silhouette on the ground next to hers.

            "I suppose I should've waited until it was darker," he said, looking with a pretended air of grief at his shadow.

            "Mm, well, I also knew that you'd most likely want to repay me for the small shock I gave you this morning," she said.

            "All right, all right, no need to be cocky about it," he said lightly, contradicting his words completely with his attitude.

            "You know, we should go down to the Quidditch field again.   It seems to be our best thinking spot," Cho suggested, beginning to walk towards the close by rectangular patch of green.   He followed, walking beside her and making a few comments here and there, but not saying much otherwise as they made their way to the field.   Walking across the neatly maintained grass to the very center, she sat down and motioned for him to do the same.

            "So, what do you have in mind for our holiday plans, exactly?" he said, sitting.

            "I haven't really given much thought to it, but I need to know more details before I begin to work something out.   Are Hermione and Harry both staying for Christmas and New Year's?"

            "As far as I know," he said, shrugging.   "I don't really check in on them much nowadays, if you understand what I mean."

            "I understand perfectly.   Hmm… I don't know.   Do you have anything planned?" she said, biting her bottom lip in concentration after she had finished speaking.

            "No…" was the reply.   They sat in thoughtful silence for a few moments before he said suddenly, "Are you still planning on sending Harry that Howler?   It'd make the perfect Christmas gift."

            "I was really just joking when I said that I would, but now that you think of it, maybe I will, if I can find some way to disguise my voice." 

            "I could ask Fred and George.   They'd probably be able to come up with a way… unless they take this chance to use you as an experimenter for one of their products." He said.

            "I think I'll pass up the opportunity, although it does sound tempting," she said dryly.   "Is part of that portable swamp they left here still roped off and there?" she added.

            "Yeah.   Filch still isn't too happy about it, though.   It seems to bring back loads of unpleasant memories… for him, I mean."

            "How's your brothers' business nowadays?   I've always been curious as to how well they've been doing."

            "I believe Zonko's may be trying to send spies over to try and steal some of their ideas, actually."

            "I take that as a sign that they're doing well for themselves, then."

            "Definitely.   Mum still isn't sure whether or not she approves of it, but they're bringing in loads of money they made by themselves the honest way, so she's keeping quiet, if she does disapprove of some part of it."

            "I liked your brothers.    Their jokes and pranks always amused me.   I remember when I tried to get Marietta to play a joke on her mother once when we were about seven or so." She said, looking as though she could see the seven-year-old version of herself right before her eyes.

            "What happened?"

            "She was too scared to do anything.   She never did really have the courage to do something like that."

            "But she was brave enough to turn us all in to Umbridge last year." He said, not sure if he would accidentally strike a nerve or not.   But he was surprised when she remained calm and showed no sign of being angry whatsoever, replying him in a way that made it seem as though she was merely explaining a simple problem to him.

            "Marietta's an only child.   Her parents' lives completely revolve around her and she'd do whatever it takes to make herself look worthy in their eyes.   I've never seen her stand up to them and refuse to do anything they told her to do, and I'm sure they'd say something to make her regret it forever if she ever did work up the nerve to say something.   I don't really think she _wanted_ to turn us all in, but she had to, in a way.   She has no life of her own, and even if she wasn't born that way, she's been forced to become a follower."

            She watched him as she spoke and saw his face alter from slightly begrudging to more sympathetic, saying nothing after she had finished speaking.

"It's been a while since the first time we did this," she said quietly, smiling as they watched another breathtaking sunset.

            "You mean, talking face to face?" he said, leaning back.

            "That… and watching a sunset together.   I'm sorry; I just love sunsets.   When I was a little girl, I loved to paint and draw and doodle on just about everything I could get my hands on, and the one thing that I wanted to be able to paint the most was a sunset.   But I never could get it just the way I wanted it to be.   I could visualize one in my mind, but when I put it to paper, it became very different from the image I had thought of.   It seems like the only way to completely capture a sunset is in a picture."

            "Then why haven't you every just taken a picture of one?"

            "I don't know… I guess I don't have time.   And it's so difficult to choose a specific day and sunset to photograph; each one is different, but also vaguely familiar to all the others, you know?"

            "I see what you're saying…" he said, trailing off.

            "So," she said, after the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, "I came up with a few ideas of what we can do over the holidays.   You've discovered for sure whether or not they're staying, right?"

            He nodded.   "When they passed around the list of people staying here for the holidays, they didn't sign their names."

            "Excellent.   So, what I'm thinking is…"

            She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, and smiled happily at the look of absolute awe and excitement that crept onto his face.

            "That's bloody brilliant," he said frankly, grinning from ear to ear.

            "I'm glad you think so," she said, still smiling.   "Because this'll require you to be completely concentrated on your task, as well as some acting skills."

            "I'm ready for it," he said, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

            "Perfect." She said, turning her face upwards as he did likewise to look towards the evening stars that had begun to make their appearance and just enjoy the silence of the night and being together.

************************

A/N: Now, this is longer than a lot of the previous chapters and I hope this makes up for the long wait and I'm really sorry about all that, but that's just how it worked out, you know?   Oh, and a BIG announcement!   Okay, it's not that big, but it does require some sort of an effort on your part.   Ready?   This is review one of Unicorn13's lesser-paid-attention-to songfics week.   You have two choices: Unwell or You Raise Me Up.   Please?   Anyway, You've all been so great and here are my replies to your reviews:

To LauriAnn: The first one to review the last chapter! (*throws confetti and plays cheesy 'you've won' music*, lol)   Anyway, I'm really proud of that last chapter I did and I'm glad that you like it a lot too.   As you can see, there's some conflict, but it's mostly with Cho and herself and Ron and himself, etc.   I can maybe see a fight between the two of them in the future, though, just to spice things up. (*winks*)   Sadly, my other story, Dear Harry, _might_ interfere with how often I can update this story, but I think I'll be able to manage it all right without having to sacrifice much.   And it _is_ a tough question!

To glitterfairyxoxo: Yeah, I know you love this story, but I never get tired of hearing it, lol. :-)   

To fairy-lights1: I'm happy you loved that last chapter!   It was extremely fluffy, but I myself really liked it.   Thanks for your feedback on my question, and I want to finish writing the H/D fic completely first before I put it up on the web site, so you don't have to look for it yet, but I'm glad you're willing to give it a chance!

To LogicalRaven: They _are_ cute together, aren't they?   I have a feeling they're not going to be together in the next book though. :-(   I wonder if I really should write this story so that Cho sends Harry a Howler… maybe as a Christmas gift… hee hee hee… I'm sorry for the second long wait in a row, though!

To shortywithbrains: Thanks.   I had a very relaxing holiday.   You know, I actually have a cousin who lives in California.   Yeah, he's an only child and _spoiled_ _to death_.   He's a year younger than me… anyway, I love the weather in that state because even though it's kind of cold at night in the winter, the climate is just so mild, you know?

To Cho345Chi: Well, that obviously wasn't the end of the story, so I hope that makes you happy.   And I agree; having Harry's POV all the time gets old after a while, and it's just so much fun to explore all the other characters' personalities and kind of play around with them to make them your own.   I'm forever grateful to you for answering my question and I'd also like to thank you for your support on my Hermione/Draco story; your review was one of those reviews that just leaves a writer happy and satisfied.

To Siriusly Serious: Okay, I'm planning on having a sequel to this, but that last chapter was certainly not the end of the story, lol!   Hold your horses and back up a little bit.   I'm glad you like this story so far!

To ChoChang100: I get it, lol.   It's all going to happen in its own sweet time, but it definitely will happen.   Don't worry.   Thanks for your answer to my question, and I _knew_ it!   I knew your boyfriend had to be cute!   I wish I had one… no, lol.   I'm just kidding.   I'm all right by myself…  You know, it's so easy to lie when you write it down… or, rather, type it…

Okay, everybody, the choices for the most insecure female HP character are as follows (choose one and tell me in your review which one you picked): Cho, Ginny, Hermione, Marietta, and Pansy.   Whichever one gets the most votes will be the one I use in this story I'm planning out.   I can't wait to hear from all of you!

-Unicorn13


	11. A Hogsmeade Visit

Chapter 11 

            "Are you sure?"

            "Mm, yes.   I'm just not comfortable with everyone always surrounding me and not letting me eat a single meal in peace."

            "And you've brought me along because…?"

            She shrugged.   "I needed the conversation and, to be truthful, I'm a bit tired of hearing Marietta's voice."

            "If you're doing this to get away from everyone, why would you need any conversation?"

            "Because I just do."

            "People will say things, you know."

            "Well, at least it's not the Astronomy Tower.   Then they'd really have something to discuss." Cho said, walking up the staircase towards the tapestry.   "Besides, the Room of Requirement is the last place they'll expect us to be."

            Ron gave her a skeptical look, to which she answered with an exasperated glance at the ceiling, "All right then, about the second place they'd look for us.   You have to admit, though, it's the ideal hiding spot."

            "Can't quite argue there," he said, keeping close behind her.

            "Ready?" she asked as they both reached the tapestry.   They deliberately walked past it three times and pulled back the drapery to reveal a door; he opened it and motioned for her to enter first, which she did gratefully, while he followed behind her, closing the door behind him.

            A medium-sized table with chairs stood alone in the middle of the room, a few platters of food resting on it, as well as silverware, two cups, and two golden plates, a set of windows lighting the room, bright beams of sunlight shining in through the clean glass.   She walked towards the table, slightly in awe and sat down in the chair nearest to her and began filling her plate, Ron doing the same.

            "So," she said, ladling some soup into her bowl, "how were your morning classes?"

            "Horrible," he said simply, making a face.

            "Would you care to share why?" she asked, an amused twinkle in her eye.

            "Well, first I had double Potions with the Slytherins," he began, taking a bite out of the bread roll he had just picked up and Cho making a face in return at the word "Slytherin."  

            "I would classify that as a bad start to the day," she said, pouring pumpkin juice from the pitcher into her cup.

            "And Snape was in a terrible mood, so, when I stirred my potion to the right one time too many, it all went downhill from there.   How was your day?"

            "It could've been better, I'll admit, but it was bearable.   I've still got to catch up to the rest of the class, though.   I'm seriously considering private lessons at this point."

            "That would be too much for me… the regular class times are just barely within my tolerance," he said.

            "Well, I don't really have a choice, do I?   I need to be on top of things if I expect to graduate from Hogwarts this year with the rest of my classmates.   Plus, you have my parents to consider, who still live under the delusion that I'll actually graduate as valedictorian." She replied, shaking her head slightly.

            "Why not?   You're in Ravenclaw, aren't you?"

            "Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll be the best of the best."

            "You've still got time," he reminded her.

            "True.   It might mean that I'll have to cut down on my leisure time, though."

            "Not necessarily.   You'd just have to study harder with the time you've got."

            "I doubt that would help very much." She said hesitantly, frowning a little.

            "Then you'll have to make the most of what spare time you have for pleasure," he said, shrugging.   "Do Hogsmeade weekends count?" he asked innocently, as if he didn't know.

            "Of course they do, don't be silly," she said, smiling again.   "By the way, when _is_ the next one?   I've been meaning to go look on the announcement bulletin board in the Ravenclaw common room, but I haven't gotten a chance yet."

            "Let's see, there's one… this weekend, I believe." He said, squinting his eyes a bit as a sign of some quick, but hard, thinking.

            "I… don't suppose you're doing anything, are you?" she asked after a moment's pause.

            "No… are you?"

            "No… why don't we—" She paused uncertainly.   

            "Go… together?" he finished.

            "Yes, if it's all right with you.   We can do our Christmas shopping."

            "Sounds like an excellent idea to me."

            "Good, good." She said, letting out a small sigh of relief as his eyes traveled back to his own plate.   "Meet me at the gates, say… 10:00?   In the morning, of course," she added.

            "Ten works for me." He replied, struggling to keep his voice steady as his heart sped up a few beats in excitement.

            She nodded and continued to eat, letting the conversation come to a halt as they both ate, each, in slight panic, wracking their brains for something interesting to say to keep the discussion going.

            "So," began Cho slowly, "have you thought of anything to buy your friends and family yet?"

            "Not really.   I usually just browse around in shops until I find something for everyone."

            "Really?   I actually find that I can't work that way, being an extremely organized person.   My procedure is to write out a list to give me a general idea of what to look for when I'm shopping and then I see if I can find everything on that list."

            "And if you can't…?" he asked, looking curious.

            "I try to find something else that'll do just as well."

            "We should leave now, if we don't want to be late for class," said Ron suddenly after taking a casual look at his watch.

            "Oh, so soon?" she said in surprise, looking at her watch as well and then beginning to gather together her belongings.

            "Well, I enjoyed our conversation and the lunch.   Thanks for keeping me company," she said as soon as they were out in the hallway again.

            "It was nothing," he said modestly.

            "I guess I'll see you at dinner then?"

            "Definitely."

            "'Bye," she said, giving him a quick hug and walking away, already absorbed in her own thoughts about her next class.

            "'Bye," he called after her, turning in the opposite direction, book bag on his shoulder and hands in his pockets, to go to class as well.

************************

Cho clutched her thick cloak tightly around herself, trying to keep warm in the nearly freezing temperature characteristic of the Hogwarts grounds in the middle of December.   She let out a breath, causing a puff of steam to float up into the air, before pulling back her woolen sleeve a bit in order to see her watch.   9:55, it read.   It was still early.   Five minutes more and, hopefully, Ron would be there, ready to go.   In the meantime, she was forced to sway from side to side and bounce up and down slightly to keep herself warm.   She was most definitely more than ready for the spring to come, bringing flowers and warmer weather; it was only last night that a considerable amount of snow had fallen on the ground and it was now the cause of her agony, making the very air around her seem as though she was breathing in small knives as sharp stabs of air pricked the inside of her nose. 

She had barely dodged Marietta's usual onslaught of questions as she noticed her getting dressed in warm clothing, keeping her fingers crossed and hoping that her friend wouldn't latch herself onto her for the rest of the day, not comprehending the small hints slipped to her.   Thankfully, she had entirely too much homework built up over the past week to bother with going out, and so, reluctantly, Cho had been released from her clutches.

"Perfect," she thought sarcastically as it began to snow again, distracting her other thoughts.   "Just what I need.   More bloody snow…"

Normally, she would've loved the fact that it had just begun to snow, and that she had the opportunity to stand outside in it as it fell to the ground, but under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have already been outside for ten minutes, the wind mercilessly blowing all around and stinging her face, numbing her fingers and toes.

She took another look at her watch; only about a minute and a half had passed since the last time since she had checked it.   She gave a long sigh, irritated at how peculiar time was, playing games with her and speeding up when she wanted it to slow down, and slowing down when she wanted it to speed up.   Each second seemed to drag by heavily, the flow of time slowed by her growing impatience and wishes for it to speed up for her own benefit.   Another glance showed that the hands on her watch had made still little progress and her eyes wandered around, looking for somewhere to sit while she waited.   A bench underneath a large tree near the gates caught her attention and she immediately began to make her way towards it, looking with a bit of disappointment at the bare limbs of the tree, seeing that it couldn't really offer her any real protection from the bitter cold.   It would have to do.   She finally reached it after trudging through the snow and sat down, the cold stone managing to penetrate through the thick layers of clothing she was wearing, much to her discomfort.   Staring down at her gloved hands, she began to think of what Christmas gifts to buy, and who to buy them for.   Which reminded her…

Should she buy one for Ron?   They were friends, of course, but wouldn't it be awkward if he got her something and she had nothing in return?   Then again, it would be just as uncomfortable if she had gotten him something and he hadn't gotten anything for her.   She should probably get him something, just in case… in that case, what would she get him?   What were his interests…?   Music?   Didn't quite seem like it.   Clothing?   He could probably care less.   Sports?   Quidditch… his favorite team was the Chudley Cannons, if she recalled it correctly.   Perfect.

The sound of snow crunching underneath a pair of shoes approached her at a steady pace, and she looked up to see Ron, looking a bit surprised and confused at the same time.

"You're a bit early," he said simply.

"I didn't really have anything else to do, so I just came and sat out here," she said, shrugging her stiff shoulders.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she said, beginning to be a bit perplexed herself.   "Why?"

"You just looked a little… upset, that's all."

"Well, I've been told by my friends that I look as though I'm upset when I'm actually just thinking, although I can't see why I would."

"Oh," he said.   "Shall we go?" he added, holding out a hand to help her up.   She nodded, taking it and helping herself stand up, with some difficulty, and they both walked through the gates towards the snow-covered village.

"How long have you been waiting?" he asked after a minute or so of silence as they walked.

"Not long.   Only about fifteen minutes or so," she said, trying to sound as though she wasn't freezing to death, her teeth beginning to chatter and her body starting to shake and shiver as well.   

He took note of this and nonchalantly said, "You must be freezing, out in this weather."

"I'll be fine," she said persistently, waving it away, although silently begging him to suggest going inside the inn to warm up and get a drink.

"Even if you're not cold, I am, so why don't we go to the Three Broomsticks Inn to buy a few butterbeers and warm up?" he suggested, starting to worry as he saw that her lips had turned a shade of light purple.

"I'm all right with it, if you really want to do that," she said, a faint hint of relief in her voice.   He smiled, his hand involuntarily finding it way and clasping hers as they made their way towards the pub, sending a momentary rush of excitement through her body and the cheerful scenery they saw from the windows beckoning them to keep coming closer.   A small bell tinkled softly as the door opened, small flurries of snow rushing in after them and bringing a cold gust of wind hat made everyone near the door shiver.

"The door keeps opening," a witch sitting at the bar muttered in complaint to herself, rubbing her arms to warm them up again.

"I'll go save a booth.   Could you buy the butterbeers?" said Cho.   Ron nodded and she handed him a few coins to pay for her drink before making her way towards the nearest empty seats while he simply walked forward towards the bar counter.

"Hello dear, what'll you have today?" asked Madame Rosmerta kindly, leaning one elbow on the counter and putting her other hand on her hip.

"I'll have two butterbeers," he said, giving her the money.

"Give me a moment and I'll be right back," she said, giving a nod and walking away.

Cho sat at the table, head propped on her hands, elbows on the tabletop, watching through the window beside it as snow continued to fall down, but heavier than when she had been waiting for Ron.   Absent-mindedly, she took a hand away from her face and began to tap her fingers on the smooth surface of the table, listening to each nail make a small clacking noise, still looking out the window.   She barely noticed the snow after a while, beginning to lose herself in her thoughts, her eyes idly following passersby every now and then.

"There's Ginny and Ernie Macmillan," she thought to herself as the younger girl's red hair caught her eye in the crowd.   

"There goes Neville Longbottom, with Harry and Hermione behind him." She thought again, before her eyes shot open wide in shock and panic.

"Harry and Hermione…" 

The words repeated themselves over and over again in her mind, her heart's rate increasing as the door to the inn opened with another small ding and she felt a bit of wind blow on her back, bumps raising on her neck, but not from the cold…

"Hermione, you wouldn't mind getting the drinks for us, would you?" asked an all-too-familiar voice.

Almost moaning, she slid down in her seat and turned her head to the side as Harry and Neville brushed past her booth, not noticing her, being busily engaged in their own conversation and keeping their eyes facing directly on the path they had mentally marked in front of them.   Ron walked over moments later, looking a bit white, his lips firmly pressed together; evidently, he knew.

"Did you see—" he half-whispered, half-said.

She nodded slowly before he could finish his sentence and he leaned back in his seat, letting out a long sigh, his face gaining a greenish tinge.

"What should we do?" she said in a low voice as he pushed a butterbeer across the table to her.

"I don't know," he said quietly, opening his drink and, instead of taking a sip from it, beginning to fiddle with its bottle cap nervously.

"Maybe—we should ignore them?" replied Cho, twisting a dark wisp of hair around her finger.

"Probably… they didn't see us just now, so hopefully, they won't see us at all, right?" he said hopefully.

"Right," she said, calming herself.

"Harry, you're a Sickle short—" they heard Hermione say.

"Well, come here, then, and I'll give you one," he replied from somewhere behind Ron.

As her footsteps neared, Cho began slumping down in her seat again, facing towards the window again to complete her form of camouflage; Ron chose to finally take a sip from his butterbeer as she walked by, hoping she wouldn't recognize him.   The two of them let out a sigh of relief as she walked past them without a single pause and tensed again as she approached their booth again.   She wasn't stopping.   Her footsteps were light, happy, and most importantly, steady.   She was halfway past their table… when she stopped.

"Ron?" she asked tentatively.

He gulped hard and looked up at her, forcing a fake grin onto his face.   

"And… Cho?" she said, looking towards her, who was still staring out the window fixedly.

"What?   Oh!   Hello, Hermione," she said naturally, looking almost genuinely pleased to be talking with her, if her hands, which had balled into fists, the knuckles turning white, hadn't given her away.   She caught Ron staring at them and quickly put them in her lap, widening her eyes slightly for a moment as a signal to him.   

He caught it, and, clearing his throat, managed to choke out, "Hello."

"Well, it's… nice to see the two of you here," Hermione said, smiling uncertainly.

"And you," Cho said, nodding.   "So, are you here to do some Christmas shopping as well?"

"Yes," she said.   "I still haven't started buying anything for anybody yet, though.   I suppose I should hurry."

"We haven't bought anything either.   We got a late start this morning, actually.   I believe we're going to begin after we finish our drinks." She said, raising a hand to spin another tendril of hair around a finger habitually.

"Right," said Ron hoarsely.

"That's nice…" Hermione said, still looking a bit uneasy.

A long pause occurred then, none of them finding anything else to say.   Ron began to fidget fretfully with the bottle cap again, and Cho's smile became less and less earnest seeming, bit by bit, while Hermione stood there, with Harry's Sickle still clutched loosely in her hand.

"I suppose I should—not that I don't want to talk to you two or anything, but—Harry's waiting for his butterbeer," she said, motioning awkwardly towards the bar with the clenched hand.

"We understand," said Cho, her smile becoming wide again, and more sparkly and happy than ever.

"Well, I'll see you around then." She said.   "'Bye."

Cho waved and gave Ron a look, who automatically raised his hand and gave a short wave before abruptly setting it down again to play with the cap.   As her footsteps faded away, the smile slid off of Cho's face and was replaced by a less gracious expression, before changing to a look of worry as she whispered, "Are you all right?" to Ron.

He swallowed, still not quenching his dry throat, rendering him unable to speak.   Lifting the bottle, he took a large gulp of the drink and forced it down, before finally saying slowly, "That was… interesting."

She nodded in agreement, and they had both emptied their drinks before anyone spoke again, although they had drunk rather quickly.

"Want to leave now?" she asked, pushing aside her bottle.

"Definitely," said Ron, sounding relieved as he stood up and followed her out the door, pulling up the collar of his cloak to cover his neck as they braved the intense winter weather.   She pulled her own cloak closer to herself than ever, trying her best to fight the wind with what little body mass she had.   

"Why don't we go in there?" she yelled over the roaring wind, which was whistling in their ears and freezing them from head to toe.

He looked towards Honeydukes, the store she had pointed at, and yelled back, "All right," before making his way towards the store.

Sighing in relief as they entered the warm store, they loosened their grips on their coats and even ventured to take them off and drape them over their arms.

"I think I'll need another butterbeer before the day's over," he said, smiling.

"That's a guarantee," she said, smiling back.

The candy store, always full to bursting with candy, had taken to a more festive theme for the holidays, with specialties that were only found during that certain time of year.    Delicacies such as miniature ornaments made of pure sugar and found in all the colors of the rainbow that melted in the mouth, rock candy made to imitate icicles, with the same frozen feeling as they were eaten, but with a burst of sugary flavor, and, of course, the traditional mint red and white candy canes, occasionally with an added green stripe, with a twist—after finishing only one of these treats, the eater's tongue would be turned striped for at least half an hour, and the flavor faded about an hour later—became commonplace.   Still, the sight of all these lavishly stocked treats never failed to awe and amaze the students of Hogwarts, in addition to causing many a sweet tooth to be more than satisfied.

"It's amazing how creative candy makers have gotten over the past few years," said Cho, sampling an ornament.

"I personally wouldn't mind going into the business myself," replied Ron, helping himself to a piece of especially rich toffee from a sample tray.

"It _would_ be an interesting profession, wouldn't it?" she said, thoughtfully chewing on the remainders of the sugar ornament.   As he turned his back, she slipped the cashier a few coins, winking, before grabbing a bag of the very same toffees that Ron couldn't seem to keep his hands out of and hiding it in her purse before pulling on her cloak.   

The saleswoman winked in return and said merrily, "Good luck with your shopping!" as Cho pulled Ron out of the store, only giving him enough time to slip his coat on, afraid he would finish off the candy before anyone else could sample a piece.   He gave a moan of protest and she smiled, saying, "We'll go back later."

Pouting slightly, he nodded slowly in agreement before following her towards the trinket shop.   Suddenly struck with an idea, he said quickly, "Cho, why don't we go our separate way for now, and then meet at the Three Broomsticks Inn at, say, 3:00 this afternoon?"

"What time is it?" she asked, hiding her suspicion.   He was up to something… there was no mistake about it.

"About twelve," he said casually.

"All right, three o'clock it is," she said, turning to walk in the other direction.

"I wonder if I can do this…" Ron thought to himself, letting out a long breath and making his way towards the jewelry shop.

************************

            "Are you sure you bought enough?" Ron complained as she loaded him down with bag after bag and box after box to free her hands and allow her to use them to take off her cloak.  

            "You do know you can set them down on your seat, right?" she asked, watching him struggle with her purchases and his own with a raised eyebrow.

            "Well, I… just hadn't exactly thought of that option yet."

            "Of course." She said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

            "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked apprehensively.

            "Nothing," she replied quickly, taking off her cloak and then relieving Ron of her purchases.

            "So," she began in a low voice, "did you decide to buy Hermione and Harry anything?"

            "I thought I ought to, just in case they got me something.   After all, I'm only treating them the way they treat me."

            "Do you think I should still consider sending Harry that Howler?" she said, grinning evilly.

            "It all depends, really," he replied, shrugging.   "You'd probably regret it if he got you something nice and then you'd sent him this really nasty Howler in return."

            "True, true… but since when would he be giving me a gift for Christmas?   We didn't even exchange presents during the short while we were going out last year." She said, absent-mindedly fiddling with the straw for her butterbeer.

            He shrugged again.

            "I'm just saying, theoretically, wouldn't you feel guilty if that happened?"

            "Of course I would, but the temptation is very hard to resist."

            "You should exercise the same sort of restraint on yourself as I am," he said smirking.   "I've been very tempted to send Hermione something for Christmas that will explode in her face or something similar, but I've decided to do that only if she's done the same to me.   In the meantime, I got her a charm bracelet with a book charm on it."

            "Ingenious, very ingenious," she said, smiling and raising her bottle to clink it to his in a toast.   "I'll just have to plan something special for Harry.   Besides, we've got our little plan, and it's almost foolproof, human psychology playing into it and everything."

            "And congratulations on your excellent plotting," he said, giving a nod.

            "Thank you," she said gratefully, taking a sip of her drink.

            "Now, if we have a smooth course the rest of the way, we'll do just fine," he said thoughtfully.

            "Don't worry.   I think we will," she said, smiling and sending a jolt down his spine.

************************

A/N: All right, this is a lot speedier than the past two chapters or so, and I hope you've enjoyed it!   And, about the question I asked earlier… well, I got so many mixed answers, I'm confused as to whom to choose!   However, after careful deduction and a lot of asking around for this story, as well as with my other story, Dear Harry, I've narrowed it down to either Marietta or Pansy.   Pick one and get back to me about it!    Here are my replies to your reviews:

To LogicalRaven: Yep, you are definitely one of my most faithful reviewer/reader!   You bet Harry's in for it… wow, I never thought I'd be excited about torturing Harry, did you? :-)   Stay awesome!

To centaur219: Mwahahahaha!   And the evil cliffhanger strikes again!   Anyway, thanks, I think I'm an all right author, but you really made my day all the same!   

To shortywithbrains: See, that's what's so strange.   I'm Asian too, and so is my cousin.   Weird, isn't it?   

To Magic Crystal Rose: Nice name, by the way.   You know, I'm glad I haven't really read any Cho-bashing fics yet, because they must be really cruel, by the way you describe them.   Anyway, I'm glad you like the story, and I hope you keep reading/reviewing!

To Siriusly Serious: It's all right; I'm usually overly eager in my reviews as well. :-)   I personally think that it's all the more flattering…  Now, as for Malfoy not being in the picture at all as of now, I have given that a bit of thought, and my theory is that when you've hit rock bottom, he's always there to hand you a sledgehammer, you know?   So, when it hits a really depressing part in this story, he'll come along to make things sink even lower.   Don't worry.   Plus, I'm in the process of pre-writing a Hermione/Draco fic that I'll hopefully put on ff.net after I finish it.   Whenever _that_ is… oh, and thanks for answering my little poll question!

To Sheen Rox: I agree; Cho does seem to need to sort herself out… anyway, thanks for answering the question!   Oh, and did you watch that Valentine's Day Jimmy Neutron special?   It was hilarious!

To glitterfairxoxo: Ah, yes, their plan.   Keep pondering!

To ChoChang100: Thanks for answering the question; I'll take your answers into serious consideration… anyway, on a less professional note, that's an interesting idea you have there.   Hmm… if I come up with something, I'll tell you about it, 'kay? :-)

To fairy-lights1: You know, I usually leave the Ron-worshipping to one of my best friends, but I think I'm beginning to like him more and more with this story!   And yes, I am evil.   Cliffhangers are evil, too… :-).    Thanks for your answer to my question!


	12. A Pleasant Christmas Day

Chapter 12 

"Colorless, odorless, and nearly impossible to detect, even with the best of spells," said Cho, taking a pinch of white powder out of the small leather pouch she held in her hand and letting each miniscule grain slip between her fingers back into the open bag. Once it had all fallen back, she pulled the two drawstrings on the purse to close it and, with a small aside smile to herself, locked it away in her trunk.

"You are your own kind of evil," smirked Ron, who propped his arms on the windowsill and leaned forward.

"Thank you," she replied, beginning to smile widely. "I try my best."

"Well, I figured the hunger for revenge on the boy who's made your life a living hell might've had something to do with it. I've heard that you don't take rejection well," he continued.

"Be careful of what you hear, Mr. Weasley," she said in a dangerously low voice. "First off, _I_ was the one who broke it off, and two, I'm not the one hovering outside a window in a high tower on a broomstick that can easily slip from underneath me, if you know what I mean."

"All right, no need to take what I said personally," he said, putting his hands up in the air in a form of surrender and backing his broom away slightly.

"That's better. Besides, I'm the mastermind behind this plan, remember?" she said jokingly, crossing her arms and coming closer to the window.

"Yes, your highness, your wish is my command," he said with a grand flourish of his hands.

She laughed then said, "I'd prefer 'Your Majesty,' if you please."

"But of course, mistress, but please be so kind as to remind your humble servant exactly what the difference is between the two," he replied, bowing as best he could.

"I doubt there is. I just like 'Your Majesty' better," she snorted.

"Whatever suits your fancy," he said, keeping his head inclined.

She laughed again, a pretty musical sound that seemed to echo into the silence of the night.

"Where did you get it, anyway?" he asked with an air of interest.

"What, the title or the powder?" she replied innocently, ever so slightly raising an eyebrow.

"I gave you the title myself, so, the powder," he said, shaking his head.

"Technically, I gave you the suggestion, but as for the powder, I'm afraid you'll just have to be satisfied with the knowledge that I have connections in the right circles," she said, staring pointedly at him, a motion he didn't catch as he pretended to stare off into space thoughtfully.

"Now, why does that remind me of Malfoy...?"

"Prat!" she scoffed, tossing a pillow at his head, which he deftly caught.

"I should've known... can't get anything past you, can I? That's why you're Keeper for the Gryffindor team."

"Reflexes like a cat," he said, grinning widely.

She scoffed again.

"Yeah, a quality you displayed early into your Quidditch career. Hey!" she said indignantly as she found her own ammunition being thrown back at her.

"Hey yourself," he retorted. "I'd rather my first few games not be mentioned."

"Try over half the season," she muttered, smirking.

"What was that?"

"Go back to your own tower before you catch your death of cold. You'll need your sleep if we're going to put our plan into action properly tomorrow." Cho commanded, suddenly looking serious.

"Yes, your majesty," Ron pretended to reply meekly, beginning to steer his broom away from the window.

"Oh, and Ron?" she called, causing him to turn back to look at her. "In case I don't get a chance to say this tomorrow, Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Cho," he replied quietly before flying off, grinning like a fool into the dark, a smile that only the moon and stars witnessed.

———————————

Cho- 

_Make sure you record the results of our Inebriation Concentration while we think of a catchier name. Oh, and if anything should happen to go astray that needs professional help, don't call us unless you really feel that we're the best ones to handle matters. Take your time thinking about those last few words. Besides that, just add a small pinch of the dust into whatever drink belongs to your victim(s), sit back, and enjoy! The effects of it should wear off in three or four hours. _

_Affectionately yours,_

_Fred and George Weasley_

———————————

"Wake up, Cho!"

"Whassat?" she mumbled thickly, half-opening her eyes and fumbling for the opening in the bed hangings.

"You haven't opened your presents yet," said Marietta brightly, pointing to a pile at the foot of Cho's bed.

"And I'm not going to until I've had the full satisfaction of sleeping in late on Christmas morning," she replied petulantly, letting the curtains fall back and thoroughly wishing her friend had gone home like all the rest of the girls in their dorm.

"There's a present from someone that you might want to open _now_," said Marietta, wrenching back the velvet hangings.

"That _I_ want to open or that you want to see me open?" asked the less than enthusiastic Ravenclaw.

"It's from Ron," she coaxed, hoping it would be tempting enough for her friend to get up.

Cho sighed in exasperation, then sat up and got out of bed, saying blearily, "Hand me the presents."

When her friend had willingly done so, she purposely began slowly unwrapping every single gift except for Ron's, to compensate for her unpleasant wake-up call. Every motion she made seemed to be agony as Marietta watched her as a hawk watching its out-of-reach prey.

"Oh, how nice. Mum and Dad have sent me a box of sugar quills and a book on the Tornados," she said casually, setting the newly opened gifts aside.

"Lovely," said Marietta, not sounding as though she meant it at all.

Finally, there was only one present left, and Marietta seemed on the verge of wetting herself due to her excitement.

However, Cho only yawned, putting her hand up to cover her mouth, and set it aside.

"I think I'll be going back to bed now," she said, standing up and walking over to her bed.

"_Cho_! Please?" whined her friend.

"Oh, all right!" she snapped irritably. "And then I suppose I'll have to go down to breakfast, won't I? Well, I needed to work on something, anyway..."

But she smiled as she saw how carefully the small parcel had been wrapped in golden wrapping paper, topped off with a small, glittery bow and a card with the note scrawled with a few hastily written words and signed by the giver.

"Cho—Hope you like your present, Ron," she read aloud.

She carefully scratched at the Spellotape that held the paper together ("_Cho_! Hurry it up!"), made a face at her impatient friend, and then looked wide-eyed at the small black velvety box she held in the palm of her hand when the wrappings fell away. Cautiously opening it, she lifted the cover up a crack so that a sliver of sunlight shone on the contents of the box and was nearly blinded by a burst of rainbow reflections dancing playfully around inside. Finally, she allowed the cover to open fully and gave a small gasp as she lifted out a delicate charm bracelet, made to a perfect fit for her wrist, with a tiny ringlet of crystals on each metal link and a little golden heart charm dangling from the very middle, a small crystal imbedded in its center.

Marietta squealed loudly and hugged her friend tightly as if the bracelet had been an engagement ring.

———————————

Ron yawned loudly and stretched his long limbs before pulling back the hangings on his bed, hearing only the steady scratching of a quill, which signified that his one and only dorm mate was already awake. Sure enough, the Gryffindor was hunched over his desk, completely absorbed in the essay he was writing and only looking up briefly to dip his quill back into the pot of ink. Ignoring him completely, Ron directed his attention to opening his presents, which sat in an inviting little pile at the foot of his bed.

Setting aside what he knew was the usual maroon sweater from his mother to open later, he was surprised to see two small presents from Harry and Hermione, and decided, with a quick glance at the former, to send their gifts from him by owl.

Tearing away the simple brown paper wrappings, he found a small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Harry and a miniature notebook for hastily scribbled down notes, both gifts devoid of cards.

"Well, I wouldn't know what to write if I sent them cards either," he thought to himself as he started on his other presents. "What would I say, 'Thanks for being such great friends and for stabbing me in the back. Have the worst Christmas ever. Love, Ron.'?"

He half snorted at the thought, causing Harry to pause slightly mid-sentence, then to shake his head and return to writing.

The most interesting parcel of them all was long and slender in the shape of a cylinder, from Cho.

"I expect you to put this on your wall immediately, or I'm going to have to kill you..." the note attached simply said, in Cho's neat, unique handwriting that informed him that she had sent the present.

Looking at it curiously, he carelessly ripped off the top of the bright paper on one end of the tube and then immediately slid the rest of it off easily, catching a glimpse of a signature or two. Heart hammering, he unfurled it to reveal a Chudley Cannons poster, signed by the entire team, with their own personal comments addressed directly to him. The team itself whizzed around the inside of the poster, always stopping at the edge of the paper, before finally coming together in the middle to smile and wave at him. Hardly able to contain himself, he gave a whoop of joy and, as instructed, plastered it onto a space on the wall over his nightstand with a wave of his wand, making sure that it wasn't too permanent so that it could be moved to his room in the Burrow.

"Cho, you've outdone yourself this time..." he muttered, smiling proudly at the new addition to the décor. As he unwrapped his other present from her, he smiled even wider as he opened the large bag of toffees and popped one in his mouth, letting out a sharp sigh so contentedly that his fellow Gryffindor couldn't help but turn around in his seat to see what had made his roommate so happy.

———————————

Cho tapped her foot absent-mindedly, fiddling with her new bracelet fondly while she kept a sharp eye out for her "boyfriend." As there weren't many students left over the holidays, it wasn't difficult to spot him happily strolling down the hallway, whistling some unknown tune.

"I've been waiting for you," she said accusingly, but planting a kiss on his nose all the same as she spotted Hermione out of the corner of her eye. "Do you like your presents?" she added mischievously, a twinkle in her eye.

"I absolutely love them. The poster's on the wall right now, just like you commanded of me, your majesty, and I've probably already cleared a third of the bag of toffees you sent me," he replied, placing a gentle kiss on her hand, causing her to blush slightly.

"How do you like yours?" he asked in turn, arching an eyebrow in inquiry and looking impatiently at her wrists, which were covered by her long sleeves.

Smiling, she lifted up the wrist where the trinket was securely fastened to where he could see it before beginning to grimace slightly, which caused him to frown in turn.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" he asked anxiously at the look on her face.

"Oh, no, I adore it, I really do," she insisted, placing a hand on his arm.

"So? What's the matter?"

"It's just... Ron, I really don't think I can accept this."

"Why not?" he said as he paled considerably.

"It's... much too expensive for me to accept," she replied, biting her bottom lip. "I can't let you be so extravagant on my account."

"But you already have," he said gently, relieved as he placed a hand on her cheek. "Besides, I could say the same about you."

She almost trembled at his touch, remembering how Michael had done something similar and she had felt nothing; now she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach and fire spread from his fingertips throughout her entire body.

"Well, it—it was n—nothing," she stammered, managing a weak smile and lifting up her own hands to hold fast to his wrist.

Realizing his bold motion, he flushed scarlet and quickly removed his hand, nervously smiling back. But now that she had her bearings back, she took it back into her own hand and, feeling divinely happy, led him into the dining room with the wonderful knowledge that he felt the exact same way.

"C'mon, we can sit at the same table today," she said, smiling even more widely, if possible, leading him to the nearest seats that were closest to the food which was, unfortunately, next to Marietta, who couldn't help but elbow her friend all throughout breakfast and wink tactlessly for everyone to see.

Halfway through the meal, the headmaster surprised them by clearing his throat loudly and lightly tapping his fork to his glass, causing clear tinny sounds to ring in everyone's ears.

"In honor of the day, the Head Boy and Girl" —he motioned to the two students at the very end of the table—"have decided to hold a bonfire tonight at 6:00 sharp on the front lawn beside the lake. Everyone here, with the exception of the staff, is invited. A picnic dinner will be taken outside to you, and the festivities should end by one o'clock in the morning."

He swept a look of slight warning to every student in the room, who immediately nodded their agreement, new excitement kindled at the thought of a bonfire, which had never before been suggested. Cho stole a sly look at the Head Girl, Bonnie, before giving a small wink, a courtesy she returned. Taking a chance look over at Harry and Hermione, the latter was chatting excitedly and her boyfriend was nodding in return, as if anticipating the party to come as well.

Everything was going as planned.

———————————

"I saw you winking at Bonnie during breakfast today. I suppose having your little connections help, don't they?" said Ron, one hand in his pocket and another gloved hand holding Cho's.

"Yeah. By the way, there's something that I've been meaning to ask you ever since we came out here," she said, feet crunching softly in the snow.

"What?"

"Why are your gloves maroon?"

"My mum made them for me," he muttered, blushing furiously and tugging his hand out of hers to hide it away in his other pocket.

Seeing that she'd hit a sensitive spot, she set about making amends saying, "Well, there's nothing wrong with wearing maroon gloves that your mother made you, just as long as you're not ashamed of the nice thing she did for you by hiding them away. At least you've got enough respect and pride in your own mother to wear her gifts."

"She keeps forgetting that I don't like maroon," he mumbled, still dark red, but taking his hand out of his pocket to hold hers again.

"You could hide all the yarn she has in that color," she suggested.

"Maybe," he replied, beginning to return to his normal color.

"Anyway, it looks as though Harry and Hermione are going to the bonfire tonight, so we're all set to put our plan into action."

"Good. Erm, you know, I actually got presents from the two of them."

"Oh, really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Now, aren't you glad I told you to buy them gifts?"

"You're the mastermind."

"Exactly," she said, nodding approvingly. "How are you going to give them their presents?"

"By owl," he replied carelessly.

"You might consider using one of the school owls if you got them each something bigger than my hand; I don't think Pig would be up to it. By the way, what _did_ you get them?"

"I got Harry a few chocolate frogs and Hermione a journal."

She snorted loudly. "Hoping to fatten him and pry into her personal thoughts?"

"If anyone's trying to fatten anyone else, you're the one attempting to make me put on a few pounds. Say, you're not doing it so that Ravenclaw'll be able to beat Gryffindor in our next match?"

"Well, now that you mention it..." she said, pretending to look thoughtful. "Anyhow, what about the journal?"

"Maybe I was trying to find some way to be able to blackmail her, and maybe I wasn't. She probably won't write in it at all. She'll either suspect that I put some sort of charm on it to track her entries and turn it in to Filch to be confiscated or put it away in a drawer and never look at it ever again," he scoffed.

"How nice to know that your consideration will be treasured for years to come," she said sarcastically.

"You're telling me," he added, rolling his eyes.

"You should at least nick the cards from Harry's chocolate frogs, since they're of more use to you anyway."

"I'm not evil incarnate, remember?" he said, giving her a meaningful look.

"Oh, right. Good thing Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans don't come with a special collectible prize, or Harry would've taken it out of the package before he gave it to you," she said solemnly, with a slight nod.

Ron laughed. "Not exactly behavior expected of the 'Boy-who-lived,' is it?"

"_We_ expect it," reminded Cho.

"Not everyone knows of his dark side," he replied, smiling but with a bitter edge to his voice.

"So, the bonfire will be fun, providing it doesn't snow," she said, changing course as they steered into dangerous waters.

"Even if it does, it won't matter that much. When the fire goes out, we could always just sit in the snow and look at the stars," he said, shrugging.

"Remind me later to say something about your sentimental star comment, but I think looking at the stars right now will only remind me of the Astronomy homework I still have to finish up before classes begin again."

"I've had loads more free time lately, since I don't really have social hour anymore, so all my work's already done. I could help you, if you'd like."

"Help yourself to a share of my work any day. Everyone in my dorm's gone except for Marietta, and she's the nosiest one... it's quite a handful, living with her and trying not to go insane at the same time. Did you know that she woke me up at 7:00 this morning just so that she could watch me open my presents?"

"She sounds obsessed with you, if anything," he said, frowning slightly.

"More like obsessed with me and you as a couple. She wanted to see me unwrap the present you gave me," she replied, looking down to smile at the bracelet as it glittered on her wrist.

"Really?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah," she said. "She's always hungry for details about my love life. In a way, it's flattering, but then it's also a massive pain in the neck. So, I suppose the two sort of balance each other out."

"I probably would've hexed her to high heaven by now."

"Well, that's most likely because you also don't know how sweet she can be. Like I said, it's not really her fault that everything happened the way it did last year."

He sighed and said quietly, "I know. I s'pose you've just got more patience with her than I could have..."

"There's probably a logical explanation for what Harry and Hermione did, Ron. I'm sure that if they were given the choice to do it over, they'd do the exact same thing. But that doesn't mean that they don't care about you at all."

"Oh, and that's why we're going to embarrass the living daylights out them tonight, correct?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and grinning.

"Actually, that's more so a little revenge thing to show that you're not completely cooled off from what they did yet," she replied, returning the smile.

"Just me? If I'm not mistaken, you've got your own little grudge against the two of them," he said, raising the other eyebrow to match.

"I'm not even sure if it's something I should be angry about anymore. It was such a long time ago since Harry and I went out on our first and last date, and whomever he wants to be with now is his own business," she shrugged. "Besides," she added before he could open his mouth to speak, "you want Hermione back, don't you?"

He paused at this new question. Did he? Sure, he'd wanted retribution for the torment his pride had suffered, but did he actually want Hermione back after it all? Cho was undoubtedly ten times better, but how long would _that_ last? After all, they'd both agreed that it would be a pretend relationship, the purpose of which was only to benefit each other by making the people who'd made them unhappy equally miserable in return. But then, there were the Christmas presents they had given each other...

"Ron? Are you all right?" she asked uncertainly, looking nervous at the expression on his face and at the long break in the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered absently, still looking lost in thought.

"Doesn't he want her back?" she thought to herself. She'd half expected him to say yes straight off, but the other half of her hoped, or rather, wished that he would say no just as quickly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he beat her to it.

"I guess... I'd want her back," he said finally, but still unsure of how much truth was in his words.

"Oh. Right... right," she replied, trying to sound as though she didn't particularly care. But the familiar sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach that signified disappointment was enough to make her feel more than uneasy.

"I never should've asked," she thought uncomfortably, gently taking her hand out of Ron's.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as he noted her considerably paler face.

"Think fast, Cho, hurry!" she thought, panicking. With a blessed inspiration, she bent down and packed together a bunch of snow before straightening and turning to face him, hands behind her back.

"You know, you never reminded me to tease you about your star comment," she said, a twinkle in her eye.

"That was only a few minutes ago and... _no_. You wouldn't..." he said, backing away.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" she asked, before smirking and tossing her snowball at him with all the strength she could muster and hitting him square in the face. Luckily, the snow was soft and powdery, almost instantly disintegrating as soon as it impacted with his head, but she turned and ran with a wild shriek all the same as he began gathering together an even larger bomb than she had tossed at him.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" he called menacingly, beginning to chase after her.

She yelped as she felt an icy cold slushy sensation on the back of her head before gasping, "You're in trouble now!"

"Try me," he said, smirking and nonchalantly tossing a snowball up and down. With something that could only be compared to an incensed war cry, she charged toward him and, catching him completely by surprise, plowed him down into the ground. However, to her dismay, he flung out an arm to catch himself and ended up grabbing her own, bringing her down with him.

They both looked at each other in shock for a few moments then proceeded to laugh themselves breathless. Cho was the first to recover from her laughing attack to realize that she was lying directly on top of Ron in what would seem a very awkward position to any passersby; he abruptly stopped laughing when he realized that she had and was just staring at him for the moment, looking a bit ill at ease.

Here was the moment to say something rational or witty to break the silence, but neither seemed very willing to speak. Their breathing became even more irregular than before, each breath coming out as a cloud of fog and, slowly, both began inching towards each other. Two hearts beat together furiously in the heat of the moment, and all the blood seemed to rush from the very tips of their toes to the tops of their heads, making them feel warmer than they'd ever felt in their entire life, despite the freezing winter weather. Instinctively, they tilted their heads to opposite sides and continued to move in closer, closing their eyes as they went and then—

"Cho!" called the very last voice either one of them wanted to hear at the moment.

Cho pulled back as if she had been burned, startled into looking up towards the direction of her friend, then stood up and untangled herself from him altogether, balling her hands into fists.

"I'm going to kill her. I'M GOING TO _KILL_ HER!" she thought furiously, thrusting out a hand in Ron's direction to pull him up. After bringing him to his feet a bit more roughly than she had intended, she began to stalk towards Marietta, with every intention of murdering her "friend," everything from beheading her to hanging her from a dungeon ceiling by placing her toes in shackles then dipping her in a pot of boiling oil ran through her mind in a matter of moments.

"Or I could tie her to a wooden post, cover her in honey, and let flesh-eating beetles slowly consume her flesh..." she thought sadistically, narrowing her eyes into slits.

"Cho? Are you all right?" he asked, all confusion and apprehension changing to alarm at the bloodthirsty look of murder in her eyes.

"Just fine," she snarled, continuing to storm towards Marietta with the air of a predator sizing up and preparing to pounce on her prey.

Meanwhile, the blissfully ignorant Ravenclaw stood just in front of the stone steps leading up to castle entrance, hand on hips and looking slightly annoyed. Upon her friend's approach, however, her face lit up and she immediately made her way over to the livid Cho, unaware of the anger she'd unleashed.

"There you are! I've been looking for you," she said with a playful punch.

"What—the—_hell_—do—you—want?" Cho said through clenched teeth. She appeared to be making superhuman efforts not to wring her fellow classmate's neck, and a vein throbbed ominously in her neck.

"I was wondering whether you'd finished your Astronomy essay or not, because I'd rather fancy a... walk..." Marietta said, faltering when her friend's eyes widened and her mouth twisted into a sort of silent growl.

"_That_... is what you wanted me for?"

"Well, um, yes," she squeaked, taking a quick step backwards and looking over her friend's shoulder to see Ron looking as though he was unsure of what to do. "But if you're busy, I'll just see you at the bonfire tonight. Bye!" she spouted quickly, turning and literally running for her life.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he persisted, fighting his own urge to run.

"Ooh, she—it—yes, I'm fine," she replied finally, letting out a long breath and feeling all her anger drain away quickly into amusement at the look of vague fear on her comrade's face. "In fact, I think _I _should be the one asking that question... you look as though you just drank an entire pitcher of bubotuber pus with a dragon dung chaser."

"Have you ever even _seen _yourself when you're angry?" he replied weakly. "It's like you're out for blood, ready to create a massacre by yourself and wipe out the entire world population."

"Oh, no, that's only when I'm a little bit angry. You should see me on a _really_ bad day," she said coolly.

She smirked as she could've sworn that he paled a few shades lighter.

———————————

A/N: Okay, everyone, I'm really, really, really, really, really, really (this may go on for a while), really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY sorry. For a full list of excuses, see my notes at the end of chapter 8 of my other story **Dear Harry**. For now, be happy with my update and my replies to your reviews:

To MyaAngel: Okay, I've written more. :-) I definitely do want to write more, and have every intent of finishing this story. Thanks so much for such a sweet review! And the first one I got for chapter 11, too!

To Sheen Rox: Thank you SO much! And I absolutely thrive on fluffy things, so be sure to expect much more to come in the future! I agree, Cho does have a few issues she needs to work out at the moment, but I think, deep down, she's got the makings of a real tough girl. Maybe it's just me. :-) And, of course, who can keep the golden trio apart forever? Certainly not me. But it might take a while... and someone's probably told you all about the Valentine's Day episode of Jimmy Neutron, but I'll tell all anyway. Jimmy bottled a strong concentration of testosterone to look for a cure for love, so that he and his friends wouldn't have to go through it when they got older (I think. It's been a while...). Anyway, so, of course all of those hormones get let loose when either Sheen or Carl opens up the air vents where Jimmy's got it swirling around in this little glass compartment and love is in the air! Sheen falls for Libby, Jimmy for Cindy, and Carl for... Jimmy's mom. Hee hee hee... sorry. Anyway, at the end, Jimmy and Cindy _almost_ kiss, but then he's "cured" as is everyone else. How_ever_, Sheen and Libby seem to keep it going, even without the hormones, Carl is still secretly obsessed with Jimmy's mom, and Jimmy, I think, really does like Cindy, deep down, and vice versa. So, there ya go. :-)

To shortywithbrains: Spoiled Asians are definitely rare. You'll have to just sit tight and see what Cho's plan is, (cackles evilly) and thanks for answering my poll question!

To LogicalRaven: Oh, that would definitely be the ultimate revenge, wouldn't it? I just think that Harry might be a little bit suspicious if she just spontaneously beat him down with a Howler and then kissed Ron right in front of him all in one blow, you know? And as for Michael, I might have a little bit more torture planned for him later, and I might not. It all depends on how I feel about it. But Hermione and Harry are definitely going to get the full blast of it, not to mention I'm keeping the Howler in mind! Hope your patience paid off!

To Siriusly Serious: I thought it'd be nice to build up a little bit more tension, and so I'm glad you liked the little pub scene finishing touch. And Malfoy... oh, boy. He's going to be evil incarnate. :-) I'm not a huge fan of slash myself, but I hope you got over your writer's block pretty soon!

To Shortyst1: Thanks, I try. Spontaneity is great, isn't it?

To Magic Crystal Rose: Sorry I couldn't update sooner, but do you like Cho's present from Ron?

To thestral91: Aw, thanks! Love ya like a sis (as always)! :-)

To Hermione-Jane-Granger200 (ChoChang100): Well, as you can see, Ron got Cho a present. I'm not sure about when the two of them will really, seriously, start going out, but I'll be sure to work it in there. :-)

To Alanna Brett: Thank you so, so much! I'm not sure about whether or not I could pursue a career in writing, but it's flattering and encouraging all the same to have your praise. Pit rules! :-)

To Goldilocks31890: Oh, yeah, you were the one who gave me all those awesome reviews for D.H. Keep on staying so great and reading/reviewing my fics!

To kite13: Thanks! Expect evil plans, very evil plans... :-)

To Latresa: That's so sweet, thank you! Please don't stop reviewing and reading!

To pinkflamengo: I can't tell you how touching it is to me when someone sits down and takes the time to not only read through my story, but then review for almost every single chapter. Thank you. And thanks so much for any shred of patience you have left, lol!

To ctctctct: Thanks. I totally plan on finishing this fic, so be sure to stick around!

To GotBubbles: Cool name! Anyway, I was thinking about a twist I could put to the story, and making Harry evil seemed like the perfect thing to do. I almost feel like murdering him when I write out parts with him and Hermione, but, you know, he's Harry Potter, so you obviously can't kill him off. They're both definitely going to pay through the nose for betraying Ron, and I'm not sure about what to do with them yet. I'll probably keep them together, though. Thanks so much for a great review!

Anyway, Cho's plan may not be as mysterious now, but you'll just have to see about the specifics, eh? :-) Peace out everyone, and keep being awesome!

-Unicorn13


	13. Revenge Is Sweet

Chapter 13 

"Do you have it?"

"Yes. It's in my pocket."

"Nervous?"

"Are you?"

"A little."

"Don't be. After all, Harry and Hermione aren't."

Even to her own ears, Cho sounded less than confident and her sarcasm had indeed become considerably weakened. Her fingers twitched slightly and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her cloak to keep Ron from seeing them in such an erratic and blatant sign of her tenseness. The uneasiness and uncertainty both had experienced before the very first time they'd walked into the dining hall as a "couple" was nothing compared to this. Ron's own fingers were constantly flexing and clenching and unclenching, as though they were longing to fidget with something, yet devoid of anything to fiddle with.

So he impulsively reached for her own hands, pulling them out of their warm refuge in her cloak and began to rub them with his own, muttering about her being cold.

"I'm all right," she argued, slightly startled, but also guiltily enjoying the sensation of his fingers beginning to trace circles on her hands, soothingly massaging them.

He mumbled something else that she didn't catch and he continued to knead her hands, seeming to be only half conscious that he was doing so; she was as grateful for the distraction as he was. It kept him from having nothing to do with his hands and relaxed her… a bit. The dark night sky was free from clouds, signifying that snow wouldn't be expected that night, and allowing them all a clear view of the heavens, which reminded Cho, with a pang of guilt, that she still had her Astronomy essay to attend to. The large bonfire that had been built up with various spells and charms to keep it burning well into the night was right in front of them, crackling merrily and reaching violently into the air with its fiery flames, like a wild animal on a leash.

Checkered picnic tablecloths were spread all around the fire, charmed with a warming spell, and thus far the only people occupying any were Cho, Ron, and some Hufflepuff who was intently reading a book, pausing every now and then to push her horn-rimmed glasses back up to the bridge of her nose.

All three jumped and looked up at the sudden sound of feet crunching through the snow. Cho and Ron relaxed as the other girl closed her book promptly with a snap and stood up to go and greet the new arrival, evidently her boyfriend as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and led him towards the spot she'd saved for him. More footsteps soon followed. Now Cho and Ron were the only ones squinting in the darkness to make out who was approaching the fire.

"Bonnie!" called Cho, relaxing slightly as she recognized her friend.

"Enjoying your massage?" the Head Girl inquired, raising an eyebrow and smiling as both the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor blushed and pulled their hands away from each other. "No need to stop on my account; I was just saying a quick hello before going to claim a tablecloth before all the other ones are taken."

"I owe you," Cho said, smiling.

"Think nothing of it," Bonnie replied with a wink.

"Here they come," Ron muttered, giving Cho a gentle nudge and turning paler.

She turned in the direction he jerked his head towards and her lips became firmer set together as Harry and Hermione came traipsing down the sloped ground to the fire, the latter looking curious and excited, and Harry looking a bit bored, but otherwise thrilled.

"Curtain call, Ron," she murmured under her breath, standing up and holding out a hand to help him up.

"Right," he nodded, composing himself.

Putting on what she hoped was a kind and unsuspicious expression, Cho took Ron's hand, leaving her purse on the tablecloth to reserve it, and walked over to their victims, who'd chosen a spot on the other side of the bonfire.

"Hi, Harry, Hermione," she began, smiling. "The two of you look well."

"Thanks, erm, hi," replied Hermione.

"Hello," Harry greeted stiffly, slightly raising an eyebrow.

"Nice night, isn't it?" Cho commented, looking up.

"Beautiful," sighed Hermione, following the Ravenclaw's gaze.

"It's… nice," Harry added, seeming as though he wasn't sure of what else to say.

"Yeah." Ron managed, slightly at a loss for eloquent words.

"So, why are you two here over Christmas break?" asked Cho cheerfully.

"Well, um, my parents are taking sort of a second honeymoon as a Christmas gift to each other, and, obviously, I just don't tie into the plans," explained Hermione awkwardly.

"My family just doesn't want me home," Harry said flatly.

"How about the two of you?" Hermione asked.

"I… my mum's got a bad cold, and she didn't want me to catch it by going home for the holidays," Ron lied quickly. Sure, it was true that his mother was slightly ill, but it wasn't quite true that she'd wanted him to stay at school just for that reason.

"I thought it'd be nice to stay with Ron," supplemented Cho.

"Oh. That's nice," responded Hermione politely. Harry, however, began to eye them suspiciously, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Listen," Cho started, lowering her voice and leaning in so that only the four of them could hear, "I know this year hasn't started as well as any of us would have liked."

Ron had become comfortable enough to stifle a snort.

"But that doesn't mean we can't all be friends. Ron and I would like to apologize for anything we might've done to make you two angry," she reasoned, crossing her fingers behind her back as she spoke.

"Well, it's really all our fault, actually, I suppose," stammered Hermione uncomfortably, obviously not expecting such a turn in the conversation. "I—we're sorry, too."

"Yeah," Harry added half-heartedly, looking as though he was only agreeing with his girlfriend because he felt an obligation to.

"I suppose we'll see you around, then, all right? 'Bye!" grinned Cho before walking away, pulling Ron with her.

"'Bye," answered Hermione, frowning slightly.

"We'll try again later once the food arrives," muttered Cho once they were out of earshot.

"Right," gulped Ron, still feeling out of sorts.

She led him back to their tablecloth, feeling her heart hammering away in her chest. They would need to step carefully, lest they give themselves away and ruin the entire plan. It would be difficult, but worth it.

"In the meantime, just relax. Everything will be just fine," she assured more to herself than to him in what she hoped was a confident voice, as her hands began to shake again.

"Cold?" he asked, rubbing her hands once more.

"Well, I—" she paused, carefully thinking over her situation. "I suppose it _is_ a bit chilly…" she said finally, restraining a smile as he began to rub a bit faster.

"That went quite well, considering," Ron shrugged after a few moments of silence.

"I suppose we caught them a bit off guard, didn't we?" laughed Cho, careful to keep her voice low as she spoke. "I doubt we came off as the least conspicuous people in the world."

"I still don't see how we're going to pull this off." Ron shook his head.

"Oh, ye of little faith," she smirked, rolling her eyes. "We'll pull it off, you'll see. In the meantime, we need to think over the sketchy bits of our plan."

"Ah, but I thought the mastermind would have already thought of everything," he teased, placing a hand under his chin thoughtfully.

"I would have, if only I hadn't any homework to do," she retorted with a scoff.

"If my memory serves me correctly, I thought you didn't finish it," he argued in an accusing tone.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," she responded vaguely, with a malicious smile.

"Don't try to avoid it, Cho, you didn't finish your Astronomy homework."

"And you're beginning to sound like Hermione."

"The sky really is very clear; I wonder where all those clouds we saw earlier went," he continued, turning his attention to the heavens as well.

"Besides, we've already had this discussion, remember? Out on the Quidditch field the other night when we thought of everything," she pointed out, lying down on her back on the blanket and bringing her knees up in a sit-up position before she crossed her arms contentedly; Ron had let go of her hands sometime in the middle of their conversation.

"Mm, the thoughts of Ron Weasley and Cho Chang on backstabbers, school troubles, and life in general. We could really write a book on the things we've talked about," he mused, plopping down beside her in a similar position.

She snorted, saying, "Somehow, I have a feeling that it wouldn't sell as well unless we offered advice on dealing with these things in addition to our own personal experiences."

"Nah," he replied. "Besides, who would want to read it?"

"Dunno, but avid admirers of Harry most definitely would be after our blood if we published something criticizing him in the manner that we would."

"Especially if we use all the choice words we'd like to."

"Exactly."

"They'd probably turn on Hermione, though, wouldn't they? I mean, they could just as easily argue that there's no proof that she didn't kiss him first, and she's already had some bad publicity a few years back with Rita Skeeter."

"Oh yeah, that whole Victor Krum love triangle rubbish. The only thing I can't believe is that people would be daft enough to believe that article."

"My mum included."

"Your mum incl—oh. Sorry," she apologized quickly.

"Don't worry about it. She thought so highly of Harry, there just wasn't any possibility that she'd take the chance of not believing it and 'allowing' him to be hurt," he sighed, putting his hands behind his head.

"She doesn't still…? I mean, you've told her, right?"

He sighed heavily again as he muttered, "I couldn't really bring myself to, you know? She's just always worrying about us all, fussing over whether we eat enough, how well we're doing, and telling her that would just add one more thing to her list of worries. I think she'd be torn over whether or not to believe that Harry's not quite as honest as she fancies him to be."

"He proved that himself, to us, at least."

Cho shook her head disapprovingly.

"I don't blame you for not telling your mother, though. My own mother would be lucky to know anything about my life here at school."

"Why?" He was evidently surprised, and he abruptly turned his head to look at her.

"Because," she answered softly, glancing towards him, "she just… doesn't quite understand. Well, maybe she does, but it's not so easy to talk to her about these things."

Ron raised his eyebrows in inquiry, an expression of mild confusion on his face.

"Every single year she always asked me if I was sure that I wanted to come back to Hogwarts, telling me again and again that there were perfectly good schools that I could do foreign exchange with in China, and that my board would be all taken care of since so many of my relatives live there. She especially urged me last year, especially after, you know, Cedric died, and everything got so hectic with Harry."

He grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze as she took in a deep breath.

"Anyway, that's when I decided not to tell her everything anymore, after the whole mess with Harry and her constant badgering," she continued, holding on to his hand tightly. "I was surprised when she didn't ask me this year, and I suppose it's partly because I stopped telling her things. It's like when your parents keep something from you," she mentioned suddenly as the thought came to her.

"They hide facts from you every now and then, just to keep you from getting hurt. Well, that's pretty much what I do with my parents. Who says that we're the ones who need protecting, and not them?"

Cho gave a small bitter smile, turning her attention back to the stars.

"I can't seem to do that with my mum… sometimes I wonder if she dipped us all in a special batch of Veritaserum the moment we were born so that we'd never lie to her. Of course, that's not quite possible, considering the number of times Fred, George, and I've nicked food from the kitchen in the middle of the night and lied straight-faced about it the next morning. Of course, she always got us to confess after a while," joked Ron, feeling a sense of elation as she laughed, her face lighting up.

"Must be a motherly thing," she smiled, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. "Even when we try to hide small things like sneaking food, they're always sharp enough to catch you, with your hand in the cookie jar."

"Or, rather, with the cookie jar half empty and your hand covered in little crumbs and chocolate."

"Exactly. You know, as far as I can recall, I don't believe we've ever had a cookie jar at home."

"Really?"

"Don't look so surprised, Ron. My mother may be able to entertain a party like no one's business, but she never makes any of the food. She just leaves it all to the house elves, and they're not very gifted with making sweets. They can bake, sauté, and whatnot, but I suppose they've never really been given the chance to make anything besides these delicate little hors d'oeuvres and gourmet meals."

"Just say the word and you can't do a single thing to stop my mother from baking up the largest batch of cookies and cakes you've ever seen in your entire life."

"Well, at any rate, I've already resolved to learn to cook for myself, although I probably wouldn't go so far as to try my hand at doing it without magic," she nodded resolutely.

"Once you've perfected the craft, you'll need to demonstrate your skills for me," he replied solemnly, contrasting his tone with a wide grin.

"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley, I'll see to it that you sit through my failures as well, so that you'll enjoy and, I daresay, appreciate my successes all the more."

"We'll see about that when the time comes," he shrugged, wrinkling his nose as he made a face.

"Hm," was the only reply she gave.

"So, when do you plan on getting around to finishing—"

"—Writing," Cho corrected.

"—writing your essay for Astronomy?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"It depends."

"On what?"

"If I get my way, which is highly unlikely, then I'll just not do it at all and keep relaxing for the rest of my Christmas break. If I want to actually graduate from Hogwarts and keep my parents from grounding me for the rest of my life, however, I'll have to take the road of morality and write it soon before the holidays are over," she stated nonchalantly, sighing heavily.

"And that's why you should've finished it as soon as classes were dismissed for the break," he smirked, wriggling over on the blanket as she reached over to slap him on the arm.

"Now you're going to make me feel guilty until I do it," she groaned, managing to hit his shoulder.

"That's the basic idea."

"Here's the food," she said suddenly, releasing his hand and sitting up as a line of house elves faithfully trudged down the slope of the lawn, carrying large wooden baskets.

"'Mione's not going to like this too much."

"Why? We've usually got excellent food, although I've never stayed here for Christmas before. Is it really that bad?" she queried, looking slightly concerned.

"No, it's not the food. It's the elves," he informed her, jerking his head towards the small creatures awkwardly making their way towards them.

"What about them?" she frowned. "Does she have some sort of prejudice against house elves?"

He shook his head and moaned, "Worse. She's a sort of house elf rights activist. Always complaining about how it's unjust slave labor and how they deserve wages and vacations like any regularly hired servants."

Her frown deepened as she argued, "But most elves refuse to work for wages; they like working, and it's almost as if you're doing them the favor instead of the other way around."

"Harry and I have been trying to tell her that since our fourth year, but she just won't listen. She just keeps going on and on about how selfish we are and how unfortunate the elves are," he muttered, keeping his eyes focused on the blanket.

"Good conversation topic," she noted, adding a quick word of thanks to the elf that handed her a wicker basket.

"Right, all you have to do is butter Hermione up with that, and then Harry will most likely warm up to you," he agreed with a nod before digging into the slice of meat pie that she handed to him on a golden plate.

"I just wonder how we're going to slip them the powder," she pondered, lowering her voice again.

"We can go over there as soon as we finish our food."

"Or we can go now."

"I still like my plan better."

"Fine," she replied, rolling her eyes. "We'll finish our food first and then we'll go talk to them. But they'd better still have some butterbeer left when we get over there."

"Don't worry so much," he gently chided. "If all else fails, we'll just bring some over there and ask them to help us finish ours."

…………………………

A few courses and a popper or two later, the two had finally worked up the courage to attempt their plan again.

"Now, remember, act friendly, and try to say a bit more than you did last time," instructed Cho, taking hold of his hand again as they crunched through the snow, blanket in hand.

"Got it," Ron affirmed, breathing in deeply.

"Hello, mind if we sit here?" she asked brightly, waving the blanket towards an unoccupied space beside Harry and Hermione.

"Oh, no, by all means, sit down," invited Hermione, returning the smile Cho gave her and waving towards the spot.

"Thanks. That was a rather nice picnic, wasn't it?" Cho remarked as she sat down.

"Yes, it was, although I didn't quite appreciate the manner in which it was brought to us," Hermione agreed, frowning slightly.

"I know. Imagine, those elves slaving away in the kitchens all day and then having to come out here in the cold, dressed only in their little tea towels," added Cho, shaking her head.

Ron shrugged and remained silent, despite the suggestive nudges Cho gave him.

"You'd really think they'd have more consideration for the elves. After all, they're already subjected to slave labor day in, and day out," continued Hermione, evidently surprised to have positive reinforcement for once.

Cho shook her head, saying, "Well, if they all really do enjoy work, which they say they do, I'm just not sure which way is right, to set them free and set our own minds at rest but make them miserable at the same time, or to keep them in captivity and make ourselves feel strangely at having them toil for us."

Harry seemed to have retained his suspicion for them, and, like Ron, he kept his silence, although most likely for different reasons.

"They've all been brainwashed, from generation to generation to _believe_ that their only use in life is to work for wizards and witches. If you do research far back enough, I think you'll find that it probably all stemmed from some incident with an elf who was indebted to a wizard for something and had to pay it off by working for him all of his or her life and passing the task down to their children, and so on and so forth."

"Still, they're not all as maltreated nowadays as you may think, Hermione, although you do have a good point," spoke up Ron, shocking even Cho.

"It's the whole principle of the thing, Ron. We may speak of equality and justice, but the fact of the matter is that house elves just don't receive their fair share of things," disagreed Hermione, turning to fully face them.

"Correction, 'Mione, we may all talk about rights for everyone, but you're the only one, it seems, who's speaking so strongly on behalf of the elves, when they don't want or need a spokesperson. What about werewolves? Who speaks for them?" joined Harry, as though he had gotten some sort of signal from Ron's words to talk.

"Well, I thought all of us here did," Hermione replied. She gave a quick glance at Cho, however, and then fell silent.

"I hear there are potions nowadays to keep werewolves harmless during the full moon," Cho nodded, much to Hermione's relief.

"Maybe someone will finally discover a way to cure them. I'm surprised that they haven't already found a cure," Harry shrugged nonchalantly, looking as though he didn't quite care one way or another.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed in a reproachful tone. "You know very well how complex the workings of a werewolf bite is. Let me explain to you again."

He rolled his eyes, a motion that was ignored by his girlfriend as she began to lecture in her usual knowledgeable, bossy manner.

Cho took this opportunity to give Ron another nudge, this one a bit more roughly than the other ones.

"What?" he muttered under his breath, keeping a watchful eye on Hermione and Harry.

"They're right there," she whispered, jerking her head in a direction.

"Yes, Hermione and Harry are right there, I know," frowned Ron, looking slightly bewildered.

She let out a short frustrated groan and hissed, "Not them, their _drinks_!"

"Their—oh!"

"Here, take it." She gave him the bag under the pretense of taking hold of his hand, taking nervous glances at their victims as she did so, even though Ron was already watching them like a hawk.

"I've already arranged for something with Bonnie to distract them when the time is ready, and you'll slip it into their butterbeers. Got it?" she murmured, leaning in close to his ear to speak. He smiled at her ingenuity; to any innocent spectator, it would look as though she was whispering more intimate things in his ear than she actually was.

He nodded in reply to her instructions.

"Good. Now remember, to be sure that no one can make testify against he two of us if something goes wrong, point your wand at the bag and say _mescolare con butterbeers_. Don't ask where I got the spell, just do it!" she waved away impatiently at the look on his face.

"All right," he agreed, leaning in turn to whisper in her ear, "but promise that if anything goes wrong, you and I will take the two of them straight to the hospital wing."

"I promise, but I won't agree that I'll like it," she hesitated, frowning slightly.

"I didn't ask you to," he replied with a shrug.

"Get ready, here comes our chance," Cho muttered as Hermione seemed to be winding down on her relatively short lecture, considering.

"…and _that's_ why, to this very day, the problem of finding a cure for a werewolf bite still puzzles even the most capable and intelligent witches and wizards," she finished. Harry seemed to be fighting the temptation to fall asleep.

"Thank you for that, 'Mione," he yawned, stretching like he'd just woken up from a nap. Neither Cho nor Ron were sure which Harry was thanking Hermione for: finally bringing her speech to a close, or telling him everything he could ever possibly want to know about the complications of a werewolf bite. They were both assuming the former was the correct answer.

Cho glanced over at Bonnie, who was busily engaged in what appeared to be a very scathing scolding, involving two guilty-looking youths.

"Excuse me, please, I'll be right back," Cho dismissed herself apologetically, standing up and going to give Bonnie the signal.

"… absolutely unacceptable. You're not to lay a _finger_ on those, do you hear me?" Bonnie scolded impressively, hands on her hips.

The two boys muttered words of repentance, then scampered off with an exasperated sigh and final nod from the Head Girl, giving them permission to take their leave.

"All right, there, Bonnie?" inquired Cho, watching the boys run back to their spot.

"Everything's ready. Just as soon as you're ready, we'll take action," Bonnie managed to grin back.

"I'm ready for the show to begin as soon as I sit down," winked Cho.

Giving her friend the thumbs-up, Bonnie walked away towards the edge of the lawn to prepare the entertainment.

"See? Back before you can miss me," Cho joked, seating herself beside Ron again.

"Well, I think Harry and I might turn in for the night," began Hermione, lifting her bottle of butterbeer to finish it off.

"Stay!" urged Cho quickly, feeling panic flutter in her stomach. "Bonnie has some sort of surprise she wants everyone to see before they go back up to the castle. That's what I went to see her about, but she wouldn't tell me what it is."

"I suppose we could stay for that," Harry consented, after exchanging a look with Hermione.

"Oh, look!" Cho exclaimed, pointing at the sky.

Both Hermione and Harry followed her finger and, as almost everyone else did, directed their gaze towards the massive display of fireworks that climbed the sky, exploding and crashing into each other when they'd reached their maximum altitude, a plethora of colors and shapes. In the deafening din and captivating attractiveness of the unexpected show, no one noticed Ron mutter under his breath and point his wand to something hidden inside his robes. By the time the explosions had ceased and the wind was beginning to carry away the leftover smoke, the deed had been done, and there were no witnesses except for Cho and himself that were any the wiser.

"That was beautiful, wasn't it?" said Hermione happily, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yeah, it was," concurred Cho. "Oh, and Bonnie wanted me to help her remind everyone to finish up their butterbeers before they go back up to the castle. When you've finished, put your bottles in your basket along with your blanket and be sure to drop the basket off in the Dining Hall when you get back."

"All right," Hermione assented, handing Harry his bottle and draining hers as he did.

Cho and Ron held their breaths as they put away their own things, watching carefully for any change.

Nothing… until they were making their way back to the castle.

"We had a lovely time, thank—hic!"

Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth in surprise as Harry began to stumble slightly, throwing out his arms and holding onto his girlfriend for support.

"It was very nice. Verrrrrry nice," Harry slurred, his eyes rolling back in his head slightly.

"Harry? Hermione? Are—are you all right?" asked Cho, pretending to be concerned while trying to keep a straight face.

"The lights… the lights," muttered Hermione. She giggled and then put on a falsely serious face, shaking Harry while yelling drunkenly, "The lights! The lights!"

"What lights? Maybe we should take you to the hospital wing," offered Ron, having the same difficulty as Cho with playing the part of a worried friend. He stuffed his fist into his mouth to stifle an enormous fit of laughter as Harry fell dizzily to the ground as soon as Hermione let go of his robes to join him in a rousing, off-key chorus of "God Save the Queen."

People who, initially, had only stopped to stare at the bizarre behavior of the two, now burst out in raucous laughter, marveling at how the pair had managed to get drunk under the supervision of their responsible Head Boy and Girl.

"Now, now, Hermione, surely you could wait until _after_ the honeymoon to strangle Harry!" teased Marietta, surprising Cho with her boldness to speak to the people she'd betrayed the year before.

"Say, Potter, are you taking requests?" jeered a Ravenclaw boy.

Soon everyone had joined in on the baiting, which neither Hermione nor Harry seemed to notice as they both tried and failed to deal with one comment after the other; she simply resorted back to mumbling nonsense, while Harry took up making a complete fool of himself by doing impressions of Professor McGonagall.

"Have you ever even _seen_ the woman with her hair down? I mean, honestly, you'd think her knickers were twisted so tight that her hair won't go down. You! Detention!" he yelled at the top of his voice in falsetto and pointing wildly at Ron before laughing loudly and obnoxiously.

"_What_ is going on here? I demand to know!" bristled Bonnie, pushing her way through the small crowd gathered around Harry and Hermione.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Bonnie," called the Head Boy after her.

"Oh, shut up, Derrick. I don't see you doing anything to help these two. Probably gave them the alcohol that's gotten them so drunk, if anything," she huffed, shooting him a sharp look.

"We don't know what happened, truly," shrugged Cho, forcing an expression of bewilderment onto her face as the livid Head Girl whipped around to face her.

"Well _something_ happened! People don't just—" she stopped short as a series of loud cracks sounded through the air.

Silence prevailed for a few moments, except for Hermione and Harry's drunken ramblings, and then the crowd exploded in a simultaneous wave of laughter; even Bonnie had to stifle a giggle, but hadn't the composure to restrain a smile.

Swaying slightly in some imaginary wind on the ground, Harry and Hermione now had enormous antlers the size of baby elephants protruding from their heads in addition to bulbous scarlet noses that lit up every few seconds. It was only when they'd both tripped and gotten their antlers tangled together that Bonnie made any move to help them.

"Cho, Ron, help them up to the hospital wing while I get to the bottom of this," she instructed, before turning to face the crowd. "There's nothing to see anymore, now go up to your dormitories before one of the teachers come out here and assign us all detention. Go!" she barked, jabbing a finger in the direction of the castle.

Meanwhile, Cho and Ron had managed to lift the two makeshift reindeer to their feet.

"Do you need any help?" inquired Bonnie as soon as she'd seen everyone enter the castle.

"We're fine," protested Cho, shaking her head.

"Be careful," she warned over her shoulder as she jogged towards the castle herself.

As soon as the Head Girl was out of earshot, Cho whispered with a smirk, "What did you _do_?"

"A little bit of holiday magic," Ron shrugged back. He grinned impishly. "Just don't ask where I got the spell."

…………………………

A/N: Yes, once again, many apologies both for the lateness of this update and for any mistakes (any that you see, if you would kindly point them out to me, I would gladly correct), and all of you who reviewed and have been all throughout the story are absolutely wonderful and I don't deserve your kindness and loyalty. Not much to say here, except a Happy Belated Thanksgiving to my American reviewers. Also, before anyone asks, Cho talked with Bonnie about having some form of entertainment at the end of the picnic, but not about the plan, which explains the Head Girl's anger and surprise at finding Harry and Hermione drunk. More to come! Stick around and a new policy I now have: **all review replies will from here on out be posted on my livejournal, the url for which can be found on my bio** (just look on my profile and scroll down to the bottom of my bio). And if someone would please give me some feedback (if you had any trouble reading anything, if you like the new reply thing I have, if you actually got to read my replies) in an email or in their review, I'd be very much obliged. Thanks!

-Unicorn13


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